Phases of the Moon
by roraewrites
Summary: She looked all too familiar; thin, ruby lips, silk hair colored like the cherry blossoms, and a face that held memories upon memories. He had seen a female that looked almost identical to her in his dreams, felt a faint connection, but had never talked to this woman in his life. [SasuSaku - Reincarnation AU] Rating will change later in story*
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters._

 _Why, yes. I'm starting another story! This one kind of caught my eye while I was writing drabbles, and while I'm still processing it through my head a little bit, I hope you enjoy what I've got to write this time around. This will be in the ninja world, but it is a Reincarnation AU! I'll explain more with the next chapter, but for now, enjoy this prologue, my loves._

 _Reviews would be lovely, whether they're concrit, letting me know how I'm doing, or just to say hello! Let me know what you think so far! Also, a huge thank you to **EphemeralSakura** for taking the time to read through this and give me some insight! Thank you so much. :)_

* * *

 _ **Prologue  
**_ _the last of your kisses_  
 _was ever the sweetest._  
 _\- john keats_

* * *

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

His obsidian eyes watch as her tender fingertips trace the edge of the water, leaving ripples in her wake. The koi fish in the pond press their small lips to the surface, only to taste the sweetness of her skin on the water, then bounce away.

Her long, beautiful hair is pulled to the side. A braid, hanging loosely over her shoulder comes to rest at the base of her rib cage, while the pink tresses catch lightly in the blowing breeze.

He can't help but soak up the beauty that she portrays. Her skin is ivory, light scars painting her knuckles where she has downed many enemies in the past, and although she's strong - mentally and physically - he still kisses her knuckles with soft lifts before the day ends.

The sun is setting now, his dark eyes watch as the last rays of light shine over her beautiful figure, bathing her in the golden light. When her eyes meet his, he can't tell the difference in whether this is a dream or reality.

"Are you ready to go, darling?" Her soothing voice broke the silence, much like the smile that broke out on her pale ruby lips.

He couldn't help but adore her, adore those gorgeous eyes and loving smile. The smile she only smiled at him. When he shook his head, she stood from her spot near the pond and began taking steps towards him.

Their house wasn't far from this forest sanctuary that the two of them had stumbled upon during their daily adventure that day. It was an every day thing for the two of them. Leave when the first light hits the sky in the morning, adventure throughout the day, discover new things, and then leave as the sun sets in the farthest corner of the sky.

"What are you thinking about?" She asks gently, her hand coming to meet his in the center between their bodies. Her soft fingers intertwine with his as they walk through the greenery, her white robe picking up small blades of grass and dried up leaves along the way.

He thought about his answer as he looked back to her. Her emerald eyes remained on the road ahead, while her small body frame swayed with each step she took. Although the answer sat on the tip of his tongue, he still pondered on whether or not it was worth saying.

She already knew the answer.

He changed his mind, "what does our future hold?" He answers her question with a question of his own.

Her body halts abruptly before she shoots him a look of concern. Her lips part slightly before her hand drops to her side.

The breeze from earlier picked up and moved her rose quartz hair with each gust that blew between the two of them. While he stood tall, a little over six feet, she stood only at five-foot-five, and the height difference was something he adored.

She remains quiet, her eyes dropping to the forest floor. The light is dim now, twilight entering the atmosphere with deep oranges and darkening reds. The clouds overhead bask in the yellow-golden light, reflecting the last remaining light that the day has to offer.

"I'm not sure, love."

The answer doesn't upset him, but he nods his head before pulling her back to his own body, his lips pressing lightly to her forehead. She tastes of spring, after the first rain that takes place and he can't help but savor the refreshing flavor.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" She finally laughs out as her hands come to rest on his chest.

"Don't worry about it," he mumbles through closed lips as he continues his long, wet kiss.

He could remember this moment for the rest of her life; her under his arm, their shadows expanding up the trees, while he kept his lips to her skin.

When he pulls away, he presses one more small kiss to her temple before pulling her hand and body along behind him. "Come, it's getting dark."

And with the sun, they leave for the night.

 **xxx**

"You know we can't hide forever," she says one night.

Sasuke refuses to look at her while his stomach pulls tighter with a growing knot.

It had been three years since they ran away.

Not only from their homes, but from their home town, friends, family and everyone else that looked up to the two of them.

"Tch, it's your birthday. The least you could do is enjoy the last hours of light, then we can talk about this tomorrow."

With a click of his tongue, he turned his back to her. His dark eyes stung with regret, regret that he had ever offered the idea of running away and leaving everything behind. With a life like theirs, it was complicated to grow old together when his family had already planned his own future for him.

He was never supposed to end up with Sakura, not when she was born to a family of normal civilians. Unlike Sasuke, she had grown up in poverty, under the roof that leaked whenever it rained, and became too cold for a girl to survive in the winter. While her parents had passed away when she was young, Sakura continued to grow and thrive for a life that wasn't in misery anymore.

The day they first met flashed before his eyes as he made his way to their back porch. The moon hung low in the sky, much like the first night they met.

 _Her fists were bleeding, her face scratched and bruised and her body soaked in a pool of her own blood. His eyes grew with concern when he crossed paths with her, and not only did he pick her up and spoil his own clothing, but he rushed her straight to his family's home, requesting and begging for help._

 _Unlike his father, his mother helped heal Sakura back to health; the only agreement was that she would be gone once healed._

 _With each passing day, Sasuke would change her bandages, bring her food and water, sit in the room and coax her to talk to him. The day that she finally did, her voice was like a beautiful melody and he couldn't believe his ears with how lovely she sounded, even in her condition._

 _"Why didn't you let me die."_

 _She was assertive, her shell and barriers still up while she rested in the home of one of the most well known clans of their village._

 _"Don't be stupid, you were hurt," Sasuke retorted, his dark eyes watching the muscles in her throat move with each sip of water that she took._

 _Her wounds had been healing nicely, thanks to the medicinal herbs and salves that he had gotten his hands on. She was moving, something that was great progress in the last couple of days. When he stood from his seat, the girl was startled, her face turned towards him and eyes narrowed._

 _That was when he noticed just how green and perfect her eyes were. While her right eye remained swollen, she still looked to him with anger in her posture and fire in her eyes._

 _"That doesn't give you a reason to save someone who has little importance in this world," her tone was cast in ice, stuttering slightly. When she looked the opposite direction as him, he could see the trembling begin in her shoulders._

 _She remained quiet, as did Sasuke. He could see in the way her body moved, that she was stifling her soft sobs. Sasuke could only feel his heart pull in his chest as she remained to herself. He knew that something terrible had happened to this girl, and while he was still a stranger in her world, he wanted to change that._

 _"I'll give you your space," he offered before his footfalls echoed against the wooden walls. She didn't reply, only lie her head back down on her pillow while the rise and fall of her chest came in shallow and fast movements._

 _Before he exited her room, he offered his final words before leaving her be for the night. "Don't belittle yourself because of something someone said about you. I know you're strong."_

 _Like his footfalls, his words echoed in the room. But Sakura's soft sobs quieted down, and her breathing slowed. He watched as she turned her head slightly, emerald green eyes staring into his own dark pools, and it was there that he caught his first glimpse of her beautiful smile._

 _Heart warming and radiant._

 _It was there that Sasuke found himself falling for an absolute stranger, yet she felt vaguely familiar in a million different ways._

 **xxx**

"It's time," Sakura spoke as she finished pulling her black sweater over her head. Her long, silk tresses fell in waves that framed her high cheek bones and gorgeous green eyes.

It was dawn, the sun still hiding from the moon while her and Sasuke set out from their home.

Morning greeted them, and along with it came a sky filled with gray and air filled with rain. She welcomed the rain, informing him that it would cover the sound of their steps, and mask their scent as they traveled further away from their home, and further away from the village that haunted their dreams.

Hours passed and not a word had been said. Sasuke could feel the crackling atmosphere between the two of them, and as much as he wanted to pull her into a hug and embrace that storm cloud that encased her body, he knew that Sakura was brooding, waiting to be released.

The sun didn't show that day and while Sasuke got an uncomfortable feeling in his chest, he continued to follow the love of his life. Today wasn't a day for adventure. It was the day that they would run and run and run like hell; everything that got left behind was now in the past and wouldn't hold a part in their future.

He noticed that the one thing Sakura did take though, was the necklace he gave her before they deserted the village.

It was the one thing she ever took along with her when it came to moving on to somewhere new. That, a small bag of clothes, any medicinal herbs she could forage and _him._

Sasuke couldn't take the lingering thoughts within his own mind anymore. She was at arm's length, and when his hand found her shoulder and pulled her to him, she was caught in his embrace. Her pink tresses fell in a waterfall, blowing in the night's chill as Sasuke's other arm surrounded her shoulders and he came to rest his cheek against her head.

He could feel it now, her trembling body and sounds of soft sobs escaping her throat.

It was like a knife to his chest, turning and twisting with each sound that escaped. The clouds overhead weaved in a gray and black pattern, threatening the couple with hours of rain upon rain, but Sasuke didn't care. He needed her, needed her to know that he was here and that's all that mattered.

When Sakura's arms came to surround him, it was when she pulled her face away to look into his own eyes. Black smudges from her elegant make up surrounded viridian eyes as the tears streamed down her high cheek bones.

"It's all coming to an end," she spoke through a cracked voice.

It wasn't always that Sakura cried, but when she did, it seemed like everything around her fell apart as well.

With her tears, fell rain from the clouds. It sputtered around them, coating the greenery in small droplets of water, until everything was enveloped in a torrential downpour. When she buried her face into his neck, he could feel the warm liquid running from her eyes, and it only pained him further.

"I'm going to lose you. After all that we've been through, after everything we've overcome, it's coming to an end."

Words of truth and nothing more fell from her lips as they stood in the rain. Their clothes became drenched, his dark locks sticking to his face, while Sakura's cherry blossom hair became stringy and soaked, sticking to her body as she pulled away.

He kept his hand attached firmly to hers, looking her deeply in the eyes as his chest pulsed with an immense amount of pain. "You won't lose me."

"They're getting closer. We need to move," she spoke softly as she wiped the remaining tears that mixed with rain from her face.

Her fingers gripped his hand tighter as she pulled him along behind her. Through the rain covered trees, puddles of mud and drowning land, he followed closely along behind her. Mud and dirt clung to their clothes and shoes before they came to an opening in the trees and he could feel her hesitation.

If there was anything that Sasuke knew, Sakura wouldn't put either of them in harm's way. And he knew that if they entered that opening, they would be exposed and easily spotted.

His beating heart quickened in pace as Sakura turned to their left, pulling his body away from the opening and farther into the cover of the forest.

She ran, and ran and kept her hand firmly attached to his. He could feel the strength she possessed only by the way she pulled him along, and if it wasn't for his speed, he'd be drug along behind her body.

After what seemed like another hour of running, their way had been blocked by a curtain of darkness. With the sun completely faded from the sky, the moon didn't offer its face that night; both the moon and sun scared for what their future held. Instead of continuing on, Sakura halted once more, her heaving breathing filled the secluded area.

She couldn't see, but Sasuke could. He could see everything, and it felt all the more unreal. As darkness surrounded them, he took the lead and it was his turn to pull her along behind him.

"Where are we going?" She asked out of panic.

"Do you trust me?" His question sang along with minimal chirping of bugs.

Sakura remained quiet, only her grip on his hand tightened as she followed with ease. "Y-yes, darling."

"Good, then just keep following me."

Through more puddles of mud and brushing by tree trunks that ran with water, he could see yet another opening. The feeling of guilt welled in his stomach, canceling out the sound of his beating heart as they grew closer.

He could feel it in his mind that things were coming to an end; no matter how far they ran, no matter how hard they fought, their fall was coming.

Sasuke's next step into the open was hesitant, but when Sakura spoke, he could feel the shattering of his heart.

"It's okay. I trust you."

It was odd, the way his heart twisted and broke while his emotions betrayed him. Tears pushed themselves past his dark eyes as he took that first step into the opening. He could already see it, the way their bodies stood out in the open.

It was nothing like he imagined it. Their eyes were all filled with hate, their faced painted over with an emotionless glare as they watched both him and Sakura emerge from the cover of the forest.

Rain continued to fall from the skies, casting a sheer sheet across the open field the closer they grew to their predators.

"Sasuke Uchiha," a deep, thunderous voice filled the fuzzy air.

Sakura's grip tightened, causing an uncomfortable and bone crushing feeling in his hand. He didn't care though, he pulled her close and kept her under his protection.

"You've come far, but it's time to end this once and for all. Release her and come to us."

He didn't move, didn't give in to the commands of that familiar voice. Beside the speaker, stood his brother, Itachi.

His eyes glowed, not with hatred, but with concern. He didn't look like the rest of them, no. Itachi's eyes remained on the pooling water between both Sasuke and the group that he arrived with. Sasuke kept his eyes on Itachi, hoping for the slightest bit of help, but when Itachi looked up, it was like the blood in his body vanished and he could no longer breathe.

"Sasuke!" The harsh words cut through his thoughts as he held Sakura closed.

She remained quiet, her muscles trembling from the scene unfolding. Sakura didn't cry, she only clenched her fingers into his clothing as their words grew louder, commands coming in from every which direction.

"If you don't return with us, we will kill her where she stands."

Like that, his vision went black and white. His heart beat ever so slowly within his chest as he thought about a life without Sakura. He wouldn't witness her die, he wouldn't live in a world that didn't include her. He just _couldn't._

Sasuke also knew that either way, they wouldn't allow her to return with them when they went back to the village. She would be left on her own, fending for herself as she continued running.

His mind was torn, his body separating slightly from Sakura's as he grasped her chin in his hands and titled her face to look up at his.

"I can't watch you die," Sasuke felt his voice crack while his heart crawled to his throat.

The tears in the corners of his eyes disobeyed every order, threatening to fall from his cheeks to hers as her eyes remained on his.

"I won't let them kill you-"

"You're running out of time. Come with us, or she _dies."_

The panic in his mind whirled out of control and before he could finish his thoughts, his lips pressed firmly against her, sealing their love with a kiss that meant good bye. Soot black hair stuck to his face as he savored the taste of her on his lips, the way her skin felt beneath his fingers, how her hair spilled over her shoulders and stuck to each piece of clothing she wore.

When Sasuke pulled away, he could see the tears pooling in her emerald green eyes once more that night and as he took his first step away, he felt every bit of himself stay with her.

"I'll find you," he promised, his head still turned towards her as his feet carried him through puddles of mud and water that spotted the area.

No matter how dirty she was, how sopping wet she was, he would never forget the heart shattering look in her eyes. She was strong, not only physically, but emotionally and mentally, and seeing Sakura this hurt and broken only tore and shredded his heart to pieces.

Goosebumps rose on his skin, making his teeth chatter and mind chill over with thoughts of leaving her in a storm like this.

It reflected how he felt at this point in time as the thunder from overhead crashed across the skies, soaring from each cloud of gray and descending upon the soaked land. Water ran from his ravenous hair, down his aristocratic face, to the ground beneath his feet as he carried his body towards Itachi, towards the thunderous voice of his father.

When he took another look at Itachi, it was like he could see his world turning upside down. Those dark eyes of his brother spoke silent words, but when Sasuke turned his head back to Sakura, it was like his world had completed flipped and shattered into pieces.

Each drop of rain that fell from the sky was like a piece of his world, scattering quickly against the forest floor.

While his eyes continued to work thoroughly in the dark, he could see the simple arrow shot completely through her chest, penetrating her heart perfectly. An ear shattering cry ripped through his throat as his obsidian eyes widened, making the picture of Sakura's hunched over body all the more clear.

Sasuke took one step, two, until his arms began to swing and carry his body to hers.

Until he was caught and held upon his own will. He fought, yelled, screamed, did everything he could to get out of the clutches of the Uchiha clan as Sakura's body made contact with ground. His mind was a fire, electricity coursing through his veins as he fought to free himself from his conviction, but nothing came out of it. Hand after hand, he was pulled back and away from Sakura.

Lightning spread through the clouds, flashing in spurts of a white, blinding light. He could see her rose quartz hair sticking out from the darkening mud and while her body continued to tremble from far away, Sasuke felt it in his heart that he would never forgive anyone.

He hated them.

Hated them for taking her away.

Hated them all for killing her.

And while he felt powerless in the grip of every person that his father had brought along, something in his eyes changed and everything was in slow motion. He could see each droplet of water falling from overhead, each course of lightning before it made its way through the gray and black clouds, until it came descending down and crashed into the drowned land.

He could see the way Sakura's eyes found his own and the softest of smiles painting her face.

His heart transcended to a world of hate and darkness when she mouthed those three words.

" _I trust you_."


	2. New Beginnings

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters._

 _Good evening, everyone. :) Sorry this took awhile to post, but anyway, here we go. Starting to the story off! I would like to explain how this will go. The chapters will switch back and forth between both Sasuke and Sakura. Each chapter will be from both of their points of view, so for this chapter, we're taking a look at Sasuke's life. I hope that makes sense and you enjoy the chapter. Next week will be Sakura's turn, and I hope you stick around! Let me know how I'm doing and I hope you have a great week ahead of you._

 _I'll try to update on Thursdays._

* * *

 _ **Returning Home  
**_ _"how do you go back  
_ _to being strangers  
_ _with someone who  
_ _has seen your soul?"_

* * *

"Sasuke! You're going to be late!" Mikoto's voice echoed through their hallways, sounding muffled once Sasuke heard her for the third time that morning.

Once he tightened his headband and brushed his uniform off - just to be sure that he looked up to par - he exited his room and walked with perfect posture until he entered the kitchen.

Mikoto's breakfast was simple, Sasuke noted, as he took his seat at the table and began to dig in.

"Ah, dear. You look wonderful. I can't believe you've finally made it into the police force. Your father is thrilled," she cooed, her black hair spilling over her shoulders as the water ran from the faucet.

Sasuke couldn't help but flash a quick smile as he washed his food down with a gulp of water. As he finished his breakfast, his mother was already grabbing his dishes from his hands and tossing them in the sink. From there, they'd sit in the bubbly water and rinse while Mikoto cleaned the rest from the table off.

"Has Itachi been through yet?" Sasuke asked, his mind focusing on whether or not he was going to be late.

His mother's silence was all he needed to know. Itachi, in fact, had not returned home from his mission yet.

"Shisui is outside," she spoke instead as her dark eyes positioned themselves to glance out the window.

Sasuke only nodded before hugging her from behind. She always smelled fresh and crisp like the morning dew, and when he released her, his mother smiled a warm smile his way.

"Have a good first day. And please, listen to Shisui and stay out of trouble," Mikoto ordered before ruffling his hair slightly.

Sasuke swatted her hand away playfully before smirking slightly, "yeah, yeah."

"I was growing worried," Shisui joked as Sasuke jogged out of his family's house.

From there, both of the Uchiha were dressed in familiar uniforms consisting of vests - although Shisui's was different due to his higher rank - along with their shirts, pants, sandals, and the Konoha Military Police Force insignia.

"Before we go," Shisui grasped Sasuke's arm, "here." In his hand was the symbolic arm band that would go around their bicep.

Sasuke smirked, his onyx eyes lighting up as he slipped it over his arm and adjusted it until it fit comfortably.

"I meant to hand it over when you got your uniform, but it totally slipped my mind," the older Uchiha grinned, sliding his arm across Sasuke's shoulders before directing him towards the building.

Their walk would be short lived, but since Shisui had information to pass on, he walked Sasuke the long way through town. He informed him of their agenda for the day, main spots and locations throughout the village, and some inside intel. While he didn't go into detail, Sasuke nodded and followed along with ease.

"Your training went well, actually," Shisui mentioned as they stopped in front of the station.

It was mid March, the weather still slightly chilly while the leaves began to regain their color and bloom to their full potential. When he first departed for training camp, he was only fifteen, nearly sixteen. Fugaku had argued that Sasuke still had maturing to do, still needed to understand the order of how things went in the shinobi world, but Itachi and Shisui argued his case.

Now he was seventeen, turning eighteen in July and a full blown member of the police force. His training had taught him patience, how to maneuver through stressful situations, polished up his ninjutsu, and even made damn sure that he could be trustworthy.

Inside was much different than Sasuke had expected. It was clean, natural light shining in through the windows while the front desk was kept in an organized manner.

"Captain," multiple men stood at the front, they arms placed in a solute as Shisui made his way on by, Sasuke following closely behind.

He knew how things were ran here. His father, Fugaku Uchiha, placed in charge and ran the institute while Shisui had been placed as one of captains. While they had more room for another captain or two, Fugaku had made his mind up to keep it plain and simple.

 _Too many idiots in charge would run this place into the ground_ , as he had explained before.

"This is your locker," his captain pointed out with a warm smile.

It was plain and simple, painted in a neutral blue with the insignia painted directly in the center. Upon opening it, it smelled like disinfectant and sparkled once the light hit the metal.

"That's strong," Sasuke waved his hand in front of his nose, discarding the overwhelming scent.

"We like to keep it as clean as possible."

"I see that," the younger Uchiha's monotone voice sounded throughout the room, echoing off the walls.

"Anyways, moving on. You'll meet the rest of our squad. Most days you'll be with me, other days you'll be with your father. While he doesn't go out much anymore," Shisui rolled his eyes, "it'll just be with this main group of men, along with a few others who currently have the day off. _But_ even while on your days off, you'll be on call. Like I said last year, it's a demanding job and that's why we made sure that this was something you wanted to pursue."

Sasuke nodded his agreement, remembering just how set he had his mind on his choice.

Shisui led his way through the locker room, through the door and down the hall. Again, natural light flooded through the windows of the large room, bouncing off the floors and reflecting into his eyes. Minimal decorations hung on the walls, but as Sasuke continued following behind his captain, he noted that the back room looked a lot more bland than the previous room.

Multiple men stood around, or sat in the uncomfortable looking chairs while others loitered with a drink in hand. Sasuke assumed it was coffee or tea, potentially water as well.

"Captain!" They saluted, readying their positions as Shisui rolled in.

Sasuke's obsidian eyes watched as four of the men stood ready, the others casually standing from their seats and acknowledging the two of them.

"We don't have much on our list for today, except for patrolling the streets. Like usual, I'll take my group with me," his eyes looked to the four men who stood ready, even Sasuke. "The rest of you disperse with your section leaders. Don't make hasty or unreasonable decisions if you know it'll reflect poorly upon the group as a whole. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," they sounded in unison, rather bored-like.

"I _said_ , do I make myself clear?!"

A thunderous boom of a response echoed, making Shisui's eyes glimmer with satisfaction. "That's better. Dismissed."

 **xxx**

Sasuke's first day was rather boring. While the sun poked through the clouds, basking his group in a blanket of golden light, nothing interesting happened. The streets remained peaceful and rather quiet.

"They're normally like this during the season," one of the men to Sasuke's left pointed out.

The man's name was Inabi, his eyes always looked exhausted, and his eyebrows set in a downright position. He looked pissed off almost all the time, but when push came to shove, he was rather nice.

"The streets are, if I wasn't clear enough," he spoke once more.

Sasuke only eyed him, nodding his head before turning back to walk towards Shisui. Their captain insisted that some men remain on the streets, while others took to the rooftops. It wasn't always that their group would take to the roofs, mainly because their footsteps would disrupt citizens, but Shisui insisted.

"It's just too quiet," he argued, his tone low while his eyes wandered the streets.

While Sasuke agreed, nothing happened. Even when he looked from the rooftops, still, nothing happened.

The sun remained hidden behind the clouds while it began to set, lowering the temperature as it fell lower behind the mountains. His first day on the job was boring and bland, but he learned the ropes and got acquainted with some of his squad members. Inabi being the one he socialized with most (other than Shisui), he didn't really talk to anyone else.

"Say, do you still talk to any of those kids from the academy?" Shisui asked once they returned to the station.

He had caught Sasuke off guard, resulting in a raised eyebrow and emotionless look from the younger Uchiha.

"Not really, no," he replied.

Memories of learning the basics of ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu came rushing back, along with shuriken practice and lonely lunches. Sasuke hadn't ever felt a need to socialize with the other kids, knowing that he didn't want to go on missions with other genin (once they would all become genin). Instead, he would join the police force and follow in his father's footsteps, mainly aiming to please the man.

"I remember Itachi mentioning a blonde kid. Said you two were always squaring up, fighting and what not," Shisui sneered as he removed his arm band and folded it with delicate fingers.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Sasuke recalled while he rolled his eyes. "He's an idiot, a loud mouth too."

Memories of his loudmouthed, hyper active classmate entered his mind, reminding him just how annoying all the other kids had been. It wasn't his fault his parents placed him in the academy. Sasuke always thought himself better than those misbehaved brats. None of them had the skills that the Uchiha clan obtained, resulting in Sasuke pulling out ahead of them all - especially Naruto.

"Would you ever consider going back to being a pawn of the Hokage? Rather than being here, patrolling and bringing peace to the village?"

His questions seemed out of nowhere, confusing him slightly as he put his vest away.

"You mean, going on missions that would've been assigned to me?" Sasuke corrected, his casual smirk placed on his face.

He got a snort from Shisui as he nodded his head, "smart ass. Yeah, that's what I meant. Regardless, you could get pulled from the station and sent on a mission if they really needed you."

"And why would they want me of all shinobi? I'm a mere one in a million," Sasuke retorted. This conversation was meaningless, and they were getting nowhere. Why did Shisui want to know exactly what Sasuke was thinking?

"I'm just saying. In the passing of the Third Hokage, you never quite know what the Fifth Hokage could be up to. Hell, for all we know, she could shut this institute down and blame it on not having enough money to fund it."

"What're you getting at exactly?" Sasuke asked, his mind set to fire while he glanced at Shisui from the corner of his eyes.

"I'm just trying to ask, do you have a back up plan? Just in case?"

 _A back up plan? Why in the hell would I need a back up plan?_

"No," his answer was plain and simple.

Sasuke Uchiha had worked his ass off the last couple of years. He wouldn't let his training go to nothing, especially if plans had been set in motion to shut the police force down. The thought of it angered him, getting the best of his emotions. When he shut his locker, Shisui was no longer in the room. It was only Sasuke and his thoughts now, accompanied by the annoying buzz of the lights overhead.

As he signed his sheet and filled out his report for the day, Sasuke placed his pen back in the cup on the table and began his walk out of the back room. He filed his folder in the correct cabinet and made way towards the front of the building. He waved his good byes, and when he exited through the doors, the refreshing breeze that carried in on the night welcomed him.

Shisui's questioning remained in his head, bugging and nagging him as Sasuke made his way home. It was now seven at night, the clouds covering the stars that twinkled overhead slightly.

"Yes, thank you for everything."

That voice sounded familiar, even with how distant it was. Sasuke stopped in place, his ears tuning in to the voice, making it clear that he wasn't just imagining things. The streets were rather bare, lit up with very few lamps as he began walking again, his sandals dragging along behind him.

"Why would I need a-"

His voice trailed off while his eyes looked up. Ahead of him, he saw a figure exiting his house while her foot falls sounded quietly. She passed by him, her presence calming while her hair swayed with each step.

Sasuke found his eyes watching her until he wasn't able to see her from the corner of his eye anymore. Her hair was unnaturally colored, her eyes reflecting a green tint as she pushed by. She looked familiar, felt familiar. Everything about her screamed and called out to him, but as Sasuke turned back to his house, he could see Mikoto standing in the doorway.

"Sasuke! Hello, dear," she chirped warmly as he stepped through the gate and walked down the stone walkway.

"How was your first day?"

"Boring," he mumbled, his mind still lost in thought.

"Don't sound so enthused," Mikoto joked, kicking his sandals to the side as she followed him through the front room.

"There's a bowl of rice, along with some tomatoes in the kitchen for you. Just put your dishes in the sink when you're done and join me in the back, please."

"Why? What's going on?" Sasuke questioned, his paranoia picking up on something that had gone bad.

"Just focus on getting some food in your stomach, dear."

His mother's tone was no longer warm and friendly, but low and icy. Sasuke swallowed before entering the kitchen and grabbed his dinner from the counter. The porcelain bowl radiated little heat as he shoveled bite after bite in his mouth. She had placed the sliced up tomato on top, leaving him to pluck the remainder of his dinner from the bottom of his bowl.

Once finished, he placed the dishes in the sink and ran to the back. His mother sat on the porch, perched outside of Itachi's room and when Sasuke saw the lights flickering in his brother's room, he felt his heart clutch.

"He's home," he muttered quietly to himself, booking it across the deck with worry flowing through his veins.

"Stop right there," Mikoto was planted in front of him, her hands catching his arms. "Be quiet."

Sasuke gulped, feeling the food in his stomach churning slowly and causing him to feel sick to his stomach. Once he nodded, his mother released his arms and pulled the wooden door open slowly. Inside of the dimly lit room was Itachi's body, his chest rising and falling slowly - the younger Uchiha felt a breath of relief exhale lowly.

"Sasuke?" Itachi's hoarse voice plucked him from his thoughts as he entered the room.

His footfalls were hardly audible as he knelt down by Itachi's form, his hand resting lightly on Itachi's.

"What happened?" He asked quietly, making sure to listen to Mikoto's warning.

"I'll explain tomorrow, but for now, everything is okay. I just wanted to see you before I slept for the night," Itachi's eyes opened, reveiling the traditional black orbs of the Uchiha clan. "How was your first day?"

Sasuke readjusted his knees, bringing his other down to the wooden floor and relaxing slightly. "It was slow. I'm a part of Shisui's squad, so we patrolled today. Nothing interesting happened, though."

"Ah," he wheezed, a soft smile coming to rest on his face. "You're in good hands then."

Sasuke scoffed before smirking. He had missed his brother dearly. It had been two years since he had seen him, and when Sasuke had finally returned from his training, Itachi had been sent out on a mission. An S-Rank to be exact.

While it was tradition for the Uchiha clan to join the police force, Itachi had been recruited to the Anbu level at a young age. From there, he joined the shinobi that served Konoha from the shadows, ensuring a safe life for all of them.

"You've grown quite a bit, haven't you?" Itachi's voice was now tired, his eyelids closing gently.

"A little," Sasuke felt his cheeks heat up. "You should get some rest."

"I will."

Sasuke nodded before patting his brother's hand gently. His skin was cold, but as Sasuke pushed up from his place on the floor, Itachi's hand was attached to Sasuke's arm like a clamp.

"Before you go, little brother," Itachi's eyes opened once more and hardened over. "Do you feel it?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, confused by Itachi's question. It was apparent that his brother was tired and he needed his rest. What was Sasuke suppose to feel, exactly? He shook his head from side to side, confused by the question.

"Ah, another time then."

He released Sasuke's hand and turned his face, letting his eye lids close and turn to sleep. Sasuke stayed a minute longer, in shock at what Itachi had just asked him. Not only did Sasuke have a boring first day of work, but became overwhelmed by confusing emotions earlier, and now his older brother was asking odd questions.

Sasuke sighed on the inside, setting his mind on a hot shower and a night of sleep. Those always seemed to work, as they cleared his worries and unsure emotions.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

 **xxx**

He was awake before the sun even lit up the sky.

Too many questions, too many thoughts. Sasuke was an overthinker, and a damn good one at that. From the time he had graduated from the academy, his life became nothing but a whirlwind of anxiety and stress. While he was great at covering it up and making it look like nothing, it was during the hours of sleep, that his internal struggles ate away at him.

Sasuke would dream sometimes, allowing his body to break free from reality and flee to a world made up by his mind. Sometimes he would dream of a woman with beautiful, silk hair that would waterfall down her back. Her robes would hug the curves of her body, while her smile was always contagious. In his dreams, he felt happy and warm, consumed in a blanket of comfort as he looked at this woman. While this dream always occurred in black and white, he could tell that this woman had amazing eyes, especially when she would look into his and offer a kind smile.

Other nights, he would dreams of dark clouds that drained themselves of rain, spreading lightning across the land and filling the air with thunder. There, he would experience eyes filled with anger, and bodies hunched over with hatred. He always felt uncomfortable, his chest filled with pain while his throat always felt constricted. Sasuke could never talk during this dream, no matter how hard he tried. Sometimes he would try to scream, but to no avail.

His outfit coated his body, his headband hugging his forehead as Sasuke sat at the kitchen table. His fingers stretched out and around a cool glass of water, while his eyes watched the sun rise from behind the mountains. From the kitchen, he could hear his mother's footsteps growing louder, and when she entered the room, her squeal of shock made him jump.

"Why are you up this early?" She asked, her dark orbs eyeing him with suspicion.

"Couldn't sleep," Sasuke shot back while his hand lifted the glass to his lips.

"Did you try making some tea?"

"No."

"Well it won't do you any good right now. I'll get breakfast started, considering the medic will be here soon," Mikoto ran her slender fingers through his obsidian locks, eyes filled with concern.

"Are you sure everything is okay, Sasuke? You seem to have been in an off mood the second you got home last night."

Sasuke looked at his mother, his brows furrowed slightly while he chewed on her question. Had he really been acting strange since the moment he got home? Did Shisui's questions really concern him that much? And who was that girl he saw leaving his house? Was that the medic his mother just mentioned? Why did Itachi-

Sasuke stopped himself, backtracking to Mikoto's question.

"It was just a long first day for me. Nothing a little adjusting can fix," Sasuke lied. He hated when his mother grew concerned for him, looked at him with weary eyes while she tried to read his mood. Nine times out of ten, she always pinpointed exactly how he was feeling, except for today. Today, she was wrong.

"I can't stick around, I've got to go meet Shisui. I'll see you when I'm home," Sasuke poured the remainder of his drink in the sink and smiled a soft smile to his mother. Before he could exit the room, her small hands grabbed him by the shoulders.

"I love you, Sasuke."

His throat tightened up, causing his body to tense as she looked into his eyes with her own. Her lips pulled into a firm line, her eyes hardening over with a serious look. It had been two years since Mikoto had said those words, and now that he was looking down on her instead of up, he couldn't help but feel sadness well up in his chest.

"I've got to go," he slipped out of her embrace and made way for the door.

He hated feeling exposed, put in an odd situation like that. But then again, Mikoto was his mother and there wasn't a day that went by that he never thought about her. Once his sandals were slipped on over his feet and he opened the door, he was met by the same woman that he had seen last night.

"Uh, hello?"

Her voice was pure, with a sing song rhythm to it as she smiled a soft smile. Her green eyes glimmered in the faint sunlight while the ends of her hair kissed the tops of her shoulders.

Sasuke was caught in a dead silence. He didn't know what to say, what to think, or how to address this situation. As the woman pulled her balled hand back, she swayed to the side slightly.

"Is Mikoto Uchiha in?"

"Yes," Sasuke answered, still unsure of what to do. "I take it you're the medic?"

"Yep, that's me."

An awkward tension began to loom over them, yet Sasuke didn't feel any of it affect him. He felt an odd, familiar sensation instead. Rather than inviting her in, Sasuke stared into her eyes, hypnotized by the evergreen irises that resided there.

"Well, I've got to go," Sasuke cleared his throat before pushing by her.

He left her to stand in shock, watching him take off down the road while she remained standing outside of the open door.

He'd be late to work now, thanks to her. Sasuke hadn't meant to take off in such a hurry, but now that he was entering the station, he just noticed he hadn't invited her in, nor told his mother that she was there. An instant flash of heat overtook his body and while his cheeks felt like flames had kissed them, his ears burned. He should've invited her in, notified his mother that the medic was there, or at least shown some sort of communication.

He sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and bit into the apple that he had grabbed on the way in.

"Alright boys," Shisui's voice echoed throughout the room. "Let's head out for the day."


	3. New Beginnings ii

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters._

 _Hi there! I'm supersupersuper sorry that this took awhile to update, but here we are with Sakura's opening chapter. It's a bit longer than Sasuke's, but I promise to make up for that :') anyways, let me know what you think! Thank you for taking the time to read, and I hope you enjoyed._

* * *

 _ **A Day's Work**  
"now it's back_  
 _to the way it started;_  
 _strangers."_

* * *

"Sakura? Earth to Sakura!" Ino called, her sky blue eyes peering over the counter as Sakura stared into the glass case, focused on all the different colors of flowers.

She had been lost in thought again, her body completely numb until Ino's shrill calls pulled her from her trance. She could see her reflection in the glass of the case, how her pupils had grown in size, her emerald irises glazed over while her lips were parted slightly. Even her hair seemed a little off, the way her headband had slid to the side, the ruby fabric matching the color of her tank top.

"Oh, yeah," she spoke softly before rounding to face Ino. "What was that?"

Ino simply rolled her eyes, her feet kicked up on the counter as she finished braiding the stems from the flowers she had picked on their outing. They were nothing but weeds, but the blonde claimed that their stems were perfectly flexible and easy to twist into cute designs. Sakura only giggled, watching Ino push her way through the tall grass to obtain the bland colored weeds.

"I _said_ , are you working today?"

Sakura's eyes widened. How had she forgotten? "Yes, shit!" She exclaimed before rushing towards the counter and grabbing her medical pouch. Ino scoffed before shaking her head, watching Sakura's frantically worried face scrunch up. "I'm so sorry! I'll see you tomorrow, or even tonight. I gotta go, Lady Tsunade is going to _kill_ me."

With that, Sakura was leaving the heavenly scented shop and pushing down the dirt roads. The village was bustling with people, senseis6 with their students and even the elderly had wandered from the confines of their home, shopping at the stalls. Sakura's heart raced before taking to the roof tops; had she seriously forgotten that today of all days was going to be important? She'd thought about it all night, yet here she was, running late.

The Fifth Hokage had asked the young medic to meet her in the Hokage's Office that day, and once Sakura approached the wooden doors, she could already hear Tsunade's voice from within- "enter!"

Sakura inhaled deeply before releasing a quick exhale, her hands shaking as she shoved the heavy doors open with ease. Tsunade sat at her desk, a cup of tea in her hand while she read over the paperwork in front of her. Although Sakura had been late by four minutes, she still felt guilty; Tsunade merely kept reading the paperwork, ignoring Sakura as a whole until the young woman stopped in front of the oak desk.

"My lady," she spoke softly, her breathing had still been fast, but she kept herself composed.

"Ah, I see you've made it," Tsunade's voice had an edge to it.

Sakura cringed slightly, knowing just how prim and proper her mentor was when it came to training. She also knew that her punishment wouldn't be light, and that the older blonde would put her up to some sort of brain draining task; or rather, something that'd put her on her ass the second she was done training physically.

"Did you finish that book I asked you to look over?" The woman asked as her honey eyes scanned Sakura.

"I did!" Sakura cooed, flashing her a pearly white smile. "It's," - _sitting behind the counter at the Yamanaka's Flower Shop -_ "at my house, sitting on my desk." She hated lying, but Tsunade would have her head if she had learned that Sakura left a well aged medical textbook sitting at a shop.

"Good, make sure you bring it back tomorrow. Anyway, I have something important for you today, as you know.+"

That single sentence sent chills through Sakura's body, her lips pulling into an ear to ear grin as she held her hands behind her back. Tsunade grasped the porcelain cup, taking another sip before setting it down and continuing their conversation.

"As you know, the Anbu squad that I had sent earlier in the month returned this morning, one member of that group being Itachi Uchiha of the Uchiha clan," Tsunade smirked slightly, her golden eyes hardening over.

The look sent another round of chills through Sakura's body, except this time, she couldn't help but notice that stern and hard look in her mentor's eyes. She couldn't tell if it was a good or bad thing, but Sakura shook her head lightly before Tsunade continued. Hearing that Itachi had been one of the members on the mission was something she stored in the back of her mind, curious to know just why she was telling her that.

"He refused to report to the hospital after debriefing his mission. He had filled out his report, and returned home for the remainder of the day. As you know, the Uchiha clan houses proud people, but they're not suitable in the medical department. Your training today won't involve reading numerous pages from a textbook or filling out notes on any vaccines, or doing short rounds at the hospital. You'll be making a trip to their humble abode," she flashed a smile, her teeth glistening.

As excitement began to course through Sakura's body, it was accompanied by anxiety. It had been _years_ since she'd heard the Uchiha sir name. She would see the police squads patrol the village, but it wasn't like her to confront them and strike up conversations; after all, she was a busy kunoichi, tasked with medical training and missions every so often. Still, the thought of going to the Uchiha compound and visiting Itachi, covering his wounds and attending their family's house made her fingers shake.

Tsunade apparently caught on to her nervous digits, her smirk disappearing and a thin, well plucked eyebrow raised. "What?"

"What? Nothing, I'm ready whenever," Sakura shook her head, before hiding her hands behind her back.

"Get your supplies and return back to me before going home tonight. I'll need to know the details of all injuries he acquired," Tsunade ordered. "Dismissed."

"Yes, my lady."

Sakura turned on her heel, reaching for the doors and exiting upon demand. She closed the doors behind her, the gush of an exhilarating wind smacking her in the face, sending a shock down her spine as she finally registered exactly where she'd be heading.

Thoughts of dark, midnight eyes passed through her memories accompanied by artfully spiked hair, and a face that held a firm scowl on it constantly. It'd been years since she'd seen the Uchiha, and now that she'd been assigned a day of examining his brother, her heart was immediately descending towards her stomach. As much as Sakura's skin broke out in goosebumps, she complied to Tsunade's orders and began towards the hospital to stock up on her supplies; after all, she'd need to be properly equip, especially in the home of one of the most well known clans of their village.

 **xxx**

The surrounding air was filled with the scent of cherry blossoms, due to the Hanami season that had come and passed, but the petals still rained down from their branches, all while Konoha delightfully held on to the beautiful trees. Rays of light blanketed her exposed skin, fighting back the goose bumps that continued to threaten her body, but Sakura shook off the thoughts the second she walked through the gates.

While the Uchiha clan was still apart of the Leaf, they had a separate part of the village to themselves. Sakura, with eyes scanning the busy streets, stutter stepped through the main gate.

 _They're villagers just like you,_ she reminded herself.

They all possessed either a head that sprouted chocolate brown or raven black hair, each shining in a silk-like manner as the sun glistened off each strand of hair. The color of their eyes nearly matched one another perfectly; midnight black accompanied by silver flecks, and pupils that were almost nonexistent.

As Sakura people watched during her travels to Itachi's home, she couldn't help but notice all the different stalls and shops. This part of the village was completely foreign to her, almost like its own little world set apart from the rest of society. Everyone looked entirely happy, with smiles that stretched from ear to ear and directed at _her._ The longer she walked, the more comfortable she became in the section of town.

She walked by buildings, large but not as large as some of the ones in downtown Konoha, near the Hokage's Tower. The Uchiha crest was nearly imprinted on every building, set in stone and painted perfectly, until her eyes found one symbol she had seen nearly every day of her life: the Uchiha Police Force Insignia.

Her emerald eyes looked at the huge building, noting that the colors were very mute, yet entirely pleasing to the eye. Sakura's walk alongside it was short lived, yet she noticed all the different windows that inhabited the front, catching a glimpse of the inside and thoroughly pleased with how clean it was. Hell, even the short staircase leading up to the front doors were swept and kept clean.

Sakura shrugged before continuing her walk; she was nearly to the house of her patient now.

Their house was simple, a gate with a walkway that led right up to the front door. She was neither intimidated by the size nor how well it look, but by the unnerving feeling she began to feel within her stomach. As her hand reached for the gate, she felt the sudden shock of electricity strike the padding of her finger. She simply frowned before opening the metal gate, closing it behind her and walking her body to the door.

She was here now, standing in front of the door while her hand began to reach for the wooden frame. She tapped her knuckles against the wooden exterior before taking a step back and clasping her hands together. From the inside, she could hear the silent foot falls, when finally the door opened to reveal a gentle face accompanied by a heart warming smile; all the nerves from within her vanished, and had been replaced by the silent fluttering of butterflies.

"Good morning," Sakura spoke first, her heart thrumming against her chest. "My name is Sakura Haruno and by order of my mentor, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju, I've been sent to examine Itachi Uchiha." She felt almost out of breath from that single, long winded sentence, but the woman only smiled deeper in response.

"We've been waiting for your arrival, come in," she responded with a soothing voice.

Sakura nodded before forcing her body to move. Her feet took her within the confines of the Uchiha's home, taking in just how lovely their home was. Compared to the outside, the inside was just as nice, if not nicer.

"You have a lovely home, Mrs. Uchiha-"

"Please, call me Mikoto."

"-er, Mikoto. Your home is lovely!" Sakura bowed, hiding the blush that began to spread across her cheeks.

The small laugh that sounded from the woman was reassuring, and with it, Sakura rose back to her standing position and offered a lopsided smile. _You're entirely too awkward,_ she reminded herself, but began to remove her sandals and placed them to the side like the rest of the organized shoes.

"Itachi is this way. He just returned home only a few hours ago, so I'm unsure if he's still asleep or awake."

Sakura nodded before following Mikoto to the back porch and making their way to the room at the end. Their back yard and garden was absolutely stunning; the trees trimmed properly and blooming with different fruits, while the garden held different types of lovely flowers. Sakura sneered to herself, noticing that Mikoto's garden would put Ino's garden to shame.

"Right here," the words cut through her thoughts, and as Sakura peered around the doorframe, she could see the body of the elder brother lying absolutely motionless; despite the small rise and fall of his chest. "Just head on in. If you need anything, I'll be right down the hall."

Mikoto ushered Sakura in, and while the pinkette began to walk through the doorway, she noticed the slight stir in Itachi's body. While the natural light came in through the windows, his room was slightly dark; although the light posts hadn't been lit either.

"Feel free to light those if you need more light," the older woman offered with a smile, her voice soft.

Sakura nodded before setting her medical pouch down on the nightstand located next to the bedside. She noted the wooden seat that was positioned near the bed as well, convinced that Mikoto had probably spent the morning sitting near her son while he slept.

The room was quiet as she began to take a seat. The wood adjusted beneath her, letting out a slight creak as she moved her weight and began to dig through her pouch. She'd figured she'd require more light later in the day, but for the now, the sun coming in through the window was more than enough.

Sakura began to wander in her thoughts, considering just how long she should wait before beginning her examination on the young adult in front of her, but as her eyes finally flashed from the contents in her bag, she noticed the same familiar, yet haunting eyes set on her.

His face was calm, thick eyelashes blanketing his soot black eyes as Itachi watched her jump slightly. Sakura felt her blood rush in her body, causing her toes to tingle as she continued to look at him.

"I'm so sorry if I woke you," Sakura spoke first, her words rushed as she leaned back in her chair. Itachi didn't respond, his eyes remained on her as though he were sleeping with his eyes opened. It was when he moved his head that Sakura exhaled lowly, the nerves in her body abandoning her as she calmed down.

"I've been awake since you arrived," his voice was low and smooth; almost a dark tone tinting his voice, but Sakura melted at the sound of it. Not only were his eyes dark, but his hair was an off black color, like a raven's feather in the rays of light - a charcoal gray almost. Itachi was a beautiful human being, much like his brother and his mother. _It just runs in the family,_ Sakura mentioned to herself.

"I'm glad you're awake. I've been sent by Tsunade."

"I'm aware. She was firm with her choice of sending someone to check on me. It was only a matter of time," he retorted with his deep voice.

Sakura felt that deep blush begin in the roots of her hair, slowly making its way to the highest points of her cheeks, even lighting up her ears. She felt exposed, but she continued their conversation, before placing the back of her hand against the mattress, her palm face up.

"May I check your pulse, please?"

Itachi didn't response, only the quiet ruffles of the sheets sounded through Sakura's ears before he placed his wrist gently within the palm of her hand. She noticed how chilling his skin was, how his skin nearly froze her hand to the bones of her fingers, but as she readjusted it in her palm, she now had her fingers pressed firmly against his pulsating vein.

She began to count the pulse rate within her mind, noting just how fast his pulse actually was, and before she bit down on her lip, her brow furrowed. Itachi was looking at her with an emotionless face, his dusty eyes watching her as she worked. Sakura released his wrist gently before leaning forward, her viridian eyes meeting his blank expression. The back of her hand pressed against the width of his forehead, accumulating just how hot his skin felt beneath her hand, and as Sakura pulled her hand away, her frown deepened.

"You have a fever,"she noted.

"I'm sure I do."

" _Mhm,_ " Sakura returned. She grasped her small flashlight from her pouch before returning back to Itachi. "Do you mind?" She offered with a gentle smile, in which he shook his head, allowing her to carry on with her examination.

Sakura simply clicked the mini flashlight on before bringing it near Itachi's eye. She checked the right, her own set of eyes focused on the many different veins that could be seen in the whites of his eyes; observing all the different passage ways. " _Aaaand_ look to the right," and he did, and Sakura moved the light around. She could see the few silver flecks in his dark eyes, and along with it, the pupil that nearly blended perfectly with the shade of his iris. She repeated the steps on his left eye, looking for any clues that Itachi may have been hiding, and as she pulled the light away, she clicked it off.

She knew that Itachi was dehydrated, but there was also something else that was going on with him. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what disease he would be undergoing, but his eyes gave that small clue away. Sakura frowned once more before leaning back in her chair.

"You're dehydrated," she stated, still pondering what could be going on inside of Itachi's body and organs.

He didn't speak, only nod as he pulled the comforter up his body and turned his head away from her. "I've got something else going on, too?" His question was muffled, as his head was now turned to the opposite side of the room.

Sakura's leg came to rest atop her knee, her hand cupping her chin as she ran through all the possibilities in her mind. She _could_ do an internal organ scan of his body, or she _could_ give it another day. She was here for an examination, and while she had found that he was substantially dehydrated, she could probably find what else was going on within him. She inhaled deeply before pushing up from the chair she had been seated in.

"I'm going to do an internal scan," she informed him before weaving the signs that had become engraved in her mind. In an instant, her hands were now glowing, the green light illuminating the shadows of the room, and while the low hum was calming, Sakura was determined to find what was wrong with Itachi.

"Excellent chakra control," Itachi complimented.

Sakura flashed a simple smile, her concentration forming in her hands while she exerted the right amount of chakra. She could feel her own chakra surging through Itachi's, touching his own while she made a complete sweep through his body. Nothing seemed out of sort, but she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was still wrong.

"Could you close your eyes?" She asked quietly, her mind still solely concentrated on the way her chakra flowed freely through his body. The Uchiha did as instructed, and while Sakura hovered her hands closely over his eyes, it was there that everything had gone amiss.

Sakura stopped her flow of chakra, retracted her hands and took a seat once more. Itachi's eyes opened and glanced her way, his face still calm and composed as Sakura grasped her flashlight once more and clicked it on. "Have you been noticing any changes in your vision lately?" Sakura asked, her mind noting that the bloodline of the Uchiha wasn't to be taken lightly.

Thin, perfect eyebrows knitted together, his face finally showing some type of emotion. "No. Not that I've noticed."

Sakura nodded before standing from her seat and leaning closer towards his face. She was careful with the way she pulled his eyelid up, asking him to look down as her eyes scanned for anything unusual; nothing showed up.

She felt defeated, yet checked the other eye to ensure that she hadn't missed something. With the click of the light, she placed it back in her pouch and took a seat. Hours had passed now, noticing just how dim it had grown outside, the morning light no longer shining in like it had been.

"I'm going to get you some water. You need to drink it, all right? Dehydration isn't to be taken lightly," she reprimanded him, looking him firmly in the eye with her arms crossed over her chest. Sakura placed her medical pouch around her waist once more before turning on her heel and heading towards the door.

Mikoto was right where she said she'd be, and as Sakura made her way towards the older woman, she received a smile. "How is he?"

"He's dehydrated," Sakura frowned, while she bit her lower lip. "I'll need to return tomorrow morning, but in the meantime, I want to make sure that there's nothing else going on with him. Do you mind if I stay awhile longer?"

"Of course not. Take as long as you need. Fugaku is out of town, and Sasuke is currently at work. If you're still around, you're more than welcome to stay for dinner."

Sakura inhaled sharply before smiling kindly. _Dinner with the Uchihas?_ "I don't want to be a bother."

"Oh, sweetie!" Mikoto laughed slightly. "Itachi will be in bed for awhile, won't he? I'm sure dinner will be lonely, so I wouldn't mind the company. And if you need to keep an eye on Itachi, then please, stay."

She smiled at the mother of her patient, clearly starstruck by the kindness that this woman possessed.

"Okay, sure. I'd love that," Sakura replied with a smile. "Also, the reason I actually came out here... Could I grab a glass of water for Itachi?"

 **xxx**

The rest of Sakura's day had been easy-going. She'd spent time sitting with Mikoto in the yard, asking her various questions on how she'd tended to her garden, while keeping a perfect, pristine home for her family. The woman was obviously no push over, Sakura had come to learn. She was a Jonin, one of the stronger people acknowledged in the clan, and also a damn good cook.

The night sky loomed over them, the comforting song of crickets filling the atmosphere as Sakura began to stand from the porch. "I'm going to check on him one more time before departing for the night."

It was apparent that Itachi had been exhausted from his mission, but Sakura wouldn't put that hand in hand with something else going horribly wrong. The glass she had placed on the nightstand was entirely empty, leaving a small ring of condensation against the coaster as she picked it up. Itachi's skin no longer looked pale, and the rings around his eyes had lightened in color since she'd arrived earlier that day. With a brief smile, Sakura exited his room and made her way down the porch.

"I'll take that," Mikoto offered a hand before taking the cup from Sakura.

"Thank you," she beamed, the woman's dark eyes shimmering with hope and admiration. "I'll be back early in the morning to check up on him once more. In the meantime, he needs to rest and get plenty of water."

The woman smiled, and followed Sakura as she made her way towards the door. Her sandals went on without any troubles, and with her medical pouch, Sakura departed from the house

"Will you make it home okay?" Mikoto asked as Sakura stepped out the door. The woman was definitely a mother, and a good one at that.

Sakura smiled before turning around, "yes. Thank you for everything." And with that, she skipped down the remaining stairs and towards the gate. Sakura's pace was rather slow, her mind exhausted from an entire day of tending to Itachi's exam and while she noted just how much longer she had to go, she sighed.

The night sky was filled with millions of stars, the pale crescent moon curving beautifully around a handful of stars. Even the night air was brilliant, crisp smelling and fresh as Sakura made her way down the street. The slightest bit of sound caught her attention as she kept on walking, and from the dimly lit road, she made out another body walking her way.

The shape was tall, hair ruffled in a way that she'd only seen once in her life, and when they had grown close enough, she felt her heart climb to her throat and her eyes widen.

 _Sasuke._

It had been years since she'd seen him, yet he still had that same effect on her that he'd always had. They brushed by one another, like complete strangers, but the magnetic pull that emanated from him didn't go unnoticed. Sakura kept her widened eyes on the ground in front of her, watching each of her steps carefully until they were no longer near each other.

She could hear the excited call from Mikoto as she rounded the corner.

"Sasuke! Hello, dear." It brought a smile to her face, her body growing warm and she thought about how welcoming the woman had been with her that day.

The walk felt like it would last forever, and with a slight pulse of chakra to her feet, Sakura took off from this section of the village and was well on her way towards the Hokage Tower. She just wanted to fill Tsunade in on her day, inform her of her discoveries, go home, and rest. It wasn't so much of a long day for the medic, but she felt like her mind had been picked clean while she constantly thought of what was going on in Itachi's body.

She shook her head, swearing that she'd save that bit for tomorrow. For now, she was running up the stairs and soon planted in front of the doors to Tsunade's office. Sakura knocked like usual, awaiting the thunderous roar from the blonde, but to no avail. She frowned, her body growing with heat as she knocked once more. Again, nothing sounded from the other side and as Sakura began to push on the doors, she came to find out that they were locked.

"Just _great_ ," Sakura exhaled before walking the other way.

The hallway was dimly lit, while the village of Konoha had multiple lights beaming through each street. The stalls and shops from owners were still bustling, and as much as Sakura wanted to walk through each street, seeing what each store had to offer, she began to break out in yet another sprint. Home wasn't too far from the tower, and within a matter of minutes, she was walking through the front door and kicking her shoes from her feet.

"I'm home!" She hollered down the hall way, making her way towards her room.

"Hi, honey!" Her own mother called, the familiar voice filling her heart with warmth. It was nice to spend the day with Mikoto, enjoying the motherly love that she had for her boys, but it was also nice to return home to her own mother. "How was your day?"

"It was long. I'm tired. I want to sleep," Sakura whined as she leaned against the entry way to her room. Mebuki was still seated in her chair as she called back to Sakura.

"Well get some rest, dear. I'll see you in the morning."

"I love you," Sakura spoke softly with her head now against the wooden frame.

"And I love you."

She smiled before heading towards her bed. The comforting mattress looked all the more inviting as she removed her clothes and grabbed a large shirt from her closet. It fit loosely against her skin as she crawled into the confines of her bed. A shower sounded lovely, but her mind was already far from her conscious state, and as her pink hair fell loosely over her pillow, her head sinking into the feathery cushion, she was transcending into a dream filled world.

 **xxx**

Her walk through the gates of the Uchiha clan wasn't as scary as it had been yesterday. The skies had fluffy, off-white clouds running through them, while the sun was just poking over the mountain tops. Sakura had left earlier that morning, due to going to bed at a reasonable hour, and while she should've stopped to see Tsunade, she was eager to dive into her work today.

Through the gate she went, closing the metallic latch quietly behind her. Her steps were quiet as well, reaching for the door with her fist, Sakura was just about to knock until the door swung open. Face to face, she was looking into a pair of bewildered eyes; dark like spilled oil. She could feel the air in her lungs evacuate her body, leaving her numb and nervous as she stood in front of Sasuke.

"Uh, hello?" She asked after a minute of silence.

Sasuke didn't respond, he still looked like he was experiencing shock and the longer he looked at her, the more intense his gaze grew. He looked absolutely stunning, all grown up and taller than she'd expected. His face was finely chiseled, body toned and muscular from underneath his uniform, and oh, his uniform - how fine he looked dressed up in the symbolic outfit of the Police Force.

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts, "is Mikoto Uchiha in?"

"Yes," he answered before pausing for a slight second. "I take it you're the medic?"

His dark lashes blinked over his eyes, his face regaining composure as he stood perfectly still in front of her. "Yep, that's me."

The atmosphere between them grew silent once more, leaving Sakura to slowly focus on the way Sasuke's eyes looked into her own, like he was trying to think of something to say. That antagonizing pull resurfaced once more, causing Sakura to lean forward slightly, like her center of gravity had been knocked off balance, and just as Sakura felt her chest start to well up with a familiar feeling, Sasuke pushed passed her.

"Well, I've got to go."

With that, Sakura was left standing beside an open door, her eyes watching as Sasuke jumped the gate and made his way towards work. His hair bounced with each stride, kicking up dust in his wake and while Sakura felt stupid just standing here, she finally turned her attention back towards the door.

"Uhh, Mikoto?" She called in, accompanying her call with a few knocks on the open door.

Within a matter of seconds, Mikoto was present, her face in shock as she looked at Sakura. "Did that boy of mine leave the door open?"

"Yes...?" Sakura asked out of confusion. The look of an exasperated sigh flashed through the woman's dark eyes before she beckoned for Sakura to come in.

"Itachi is awake. I'm making some breakfast, so you're more than welcome to start your work."

Sakura removed her shoes, offered her thanks and began her walk down the porch. It was about to be yet, another long day.


	4. Set Intentions

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters._

 _Hiiiiiii, just me bringing another update. I'm hopefully going to work on getting through this story and not drag it out, so I'm not sure how many chapters it will have but I guess we'll see! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, as it's told from Sasuke's POV. Lemme know what you think :) and thank you for taking the time to read it!_

 _Also, to answer the question about Sasuke not knowing Sakura: I had mentioned that he didn't really pay attention to the kids while at the academy, but he DID know her, just not entirely recognize her at first. Anywho, enjoy!_

* * *

 _ **Familiar  
** "everyone's face  
keeps changing,  
yet yours,  
chooses familiarity."_

* * *

"My wife is going to hear about this and give you all HELL!" The screams came from behind bars as Sasuke pushed through the doors, his onyx eyes glanced to the man.

From behind the metal cage, he could make out the unnatural shade of hair that the man possessed, and like himself, it sprouted in different directions. He simply shook his head before clocking back in from lunch and reported to Shisui, who was simply seated at one of the tables in the back room, sipping on a small cup of coffee.

"Oi, Sasuke. You ready?"

"Yeah," his reply was simple and quiet. The day had been quite busy, considering the loud man they had taken in that morning.

He was nothing more than a drunk, unconscious on the side of the street closer towards the center of the village. When Sasuke had found him, the man did nothing more than take a swing at the Uchiha before stumbling to the dirt road and finding himself with his arms placed firmly behind his back.

"It's part of the job," Shisui coughed out before tossing the paper cup to the garbage. His captain's hand came to clasp his shoulder and as Sasuke offered a not-so-real smile, the older Uchiha grinned ear to ear. "I can see through that, Sas. I've known you since you were little."

Sasuke rolled his obsidian eyes before smirking deeply. "What's on the agenda for this afternoon?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Shisui's grin never vanished, and as he swung his arm around Sasuke's shoulders, he began to steer him from the back room and towards the hallway located near the back of the building. "Seeing as we've had a somewhat successful morning, why not spend some time on guard watch?"

Sasuke frowned slightly, not liking the way their conversation was headed; nor the way they were headed. Instead of walking through the large doors that resided at the end of the hall, Shisui began to walk left, taking his arm back and leading the way. Their boots clicked through the halls as they walked in perfect unison. Sasuke took into account just how bare the walls were around him, and as Shisui's pace slowed, the small jingle of a key caught his attention. The door ahead of them opened as his captain shoved it, and on the other side was a set of stairs.

"Almost there," his voice echoed through the stairwell, along with their foot falls as they began the climb up them.

"Itachi is home," Sasuke spoke quietly.

Shisui stopped mid step and turned to look at Sasuke. "Is he okay? I haven't heard from him yet."

The older Uchiha's tone changed, concern coating his once excited tone and while his eyes remained on the wall to their left, Sasuke could see something break from the inside.

"He's got a medic doing some work on him as far as I know. I'll see him again tonight, though. He's on bed rest -"

"I'll come with you tonight then. I'm curious to see just how hurt the great Itachi Uchiha actually is," Shisui snickered before walking once more.

Sasuke only frowned before falling into step with him once more. Once the pair reached the top, natural light flooded the floor. Sasuke squinted his eyes as a hand flew up to shade them, balancing against his forehead as he overlooked the yard below them. From above, Sasuke stood next to Shisui as a small handful of prisoners spotted the ground below.

"While we not only take them in and lock 'em up, but they also qualify for some fresh air here and there," Shisui explained in a stern tone. His onyx eyes held a fierce look now as he explained more information to Sasuke, leading the way along the upper wall.

While the Police Force building had been large, Sasuke hadn't thought that on the backside of the building, it had an actual yard for the inmates held there. Sunlight reached down the ground, hiding behind minimal clouds as the blue skies expanded above them. A slight breeze was also present that day, but after standing in the light, Sasuke could feel himself heating up slightly.

"Now then," Shisui turned his back to his younger coordinate. "Are you ready for the most exciting part of the job?"

Sasuke inhaled deeply before running a large hand through obsidian locks. Had Shisui always been this sarcastic, even while working?

"Sure thing."

 **xxx**

It had been hours since Shisui left Sasuke to watch over the yard and prisoners; while it wasn't the same group that had been there all day, Sasuke had noticed - although Shisui had explained briefly before he left - that a different crew overtook the yard every hour. Sasuke was now on his fifth hour of watching the inmates wander, no action arising and leaving the younger Uchiha to do his own wandering on the wall.

It was when his eyes noticed the unnatural head of hair in the yard that he squinted. It was the drunk man that they had taken in earlier that day, and while he was minding his own business, it had occurred to Sasuke that the man's eyes were narrowed sharply at him. He neither spoke nor moved from his spot in the corner, only stared with a pissed off facial expression, resulting in Sasuke to roll his eyes and continue his walk.

"Shifts up, " the sudden voice pulled him from his thoughts, startling his body and making his obsidian eyes to find his captain. Seconds after the interruption, the alarm sounded for the inmates to return to their cells. "We need to do a release. The man from earlier? His wife wouldn't talk to anyone, so his daughter is here to grab him."

"Lovely," Sasuke replied with a dry voice. He'd have his father's head if he had to pick him up from the confines of one of the well known police stations.

Sasuke was already guzzling water the second they reached the break room. He hadn't sat down or even thought of taking a short break since his lunch had ended, and now that the cool air blew from the vents overhead, he felt like he could finally relax. His report from earlier had been written in deep description, filed and taken care of - the only thing left was to release to the bastard to his poor daughter.

"Oi, Sas. She's here," Shisui called from the entryway.

With his captain by his side, the two walked in unison to the holding chamber. From within, the man sat on the bench with that same pissed off expression from earlier, only his eyes landed on the older Uchiha.

"Scumbags," the man snorted as Shisui opened the door.

Sasuke raised a single brow as he remained waiting for the man to exit the door. With a slight limp, he emerged from his holding cell and began to fall in step behind Shisui, and Sasuke behind the man.

"Your daughter came to pick you up tonight, Kizashi."

 _Kizashi Haruno._

The small sigh didn't go unnoticed as Sasuke remained behind the man. Not only did his head drop slightly, but his shoulders tensed, as well as his back. "Stay out of trouble next time, yeah? That, or call us to at least come take care of you, instead of pick you up in the wee hours of the morning."

It amazed Sasuke how sincere Shisui's tone had been with the man. It wasn't out of character for him to do, but to see and hear the amount of sympathy coming from Shisui was definitely strange; but the strangest thing that happened that day was a pair of familiar viridian eyes that latched on to Sasuke's as they exited the building. The look that he found there was hard, fire blaring from within. Even the way she held her body had anger written all over it. Was _the_ Sakura Haruno daughter to Kizashi Haruno? Sasuke glanced once more from the pale and dirty man before meeting Sakura's stance with a sense of reality.

Kizashi, as hard headed and stubborn of a man that he was, didn't look to meet his daughter's eyes. He neither said a word, nor even looked to his surroundings - only kept his gaze on the ground.

"Thanks for picking him up this morning. I'm sure he had a _great_ day."

Sasuke watched as the medic from earlier glanced at him once more, before offering a small smile and a slight wave of the hand. Had she left from his house and came straight here to pick up her father? If that were the case, then he was curious to see exactly how Itachi was doing now. Sasuke was still looking into Sakura's emerald orbs, lost in thought as he watched the way her eyes began to grow soft, faint memories of a dream he'd had recently returning to his mind, only to be ripped from such a familiar presence as Shisui's elbow dug into his ribs.

"He wasn't an issue. I'm glad he didn't cause any harm," Sasuke caught on carefully before Sakura smiled once more, amused with the way Shisui rolled his eyes playfully. "Have a good night."

The pink haired medic glanced at her father before narrowed eyes turned and she began to walk away from both Shisui and Sasuke, leaving them to stand alone at the departing doors.

"All right, I'm out of here. I'll catch you later if you swing by to see Itachi," Sasuke quickly noted before pushing through the doors and making way for his locker.

There was something eerily familiar about Sakura, and he'd be damned if he didn't want to find out. Instead of removing his clothes in a neat manner, he discarded them, threw them into the metal closet and slammed the door with haste as he pushed from the locker room and quickly towards his file. He'd marked his time, finished signing his papers and began to jog down the steps that led to the doors of the Konoha Police Force Institute.

He'd been in such a hurry, he didn't even have time to throw his sweater on over his head. Instead, obsidian eyes scanned the street for a pair walking with unnatural colored hair; one with tensed shoulders and one that walked with such a temper, he'd never reckon with. Sasuke's feet carried him quickly down the street, waving a quick hello to relatives and stall owners that had seen him wandering the streets, and as he finally reached the main gates to the Uchiha's section of town, he had found her.

Her chakra presence was rather overwhelming, he noted, as she continued to walk alongside her father. Faint words passed through his ears as he walked slowly towards them, careful not to intrude any meaningful conversation. Alas, nothing more came from their walk. Instead, they walked side by side, the medic looking at her surroundings, while Kizashi kept his eyes on the ground. Sasuke could only cringe at the tense atmosphere, acknowledging just how different their relationship was than his with his father.

"Don't be getting into anymore trouble. Mom can't afford to keep up with your hectic and childish behavior," she finally scolded as she fiddled with the key in the door. Her hair fell slightly over her face as she pushed the door open and glanced back at her father with those dazzling green eyes. Her lips remained in a firm line, her body still holding a strong posture. "I love you. Please don't get into anymore trouble, dad."

Kizashi didn't respond, only walked straight by her and through the doorway before shutting the door behind him and turning the lock with a short click. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his brows furrowing as he watched from across the street. Had her father really been that selfish of a man that he wouldn't even acknowledge the love she held for him?

"Although you're an Uchiha, you certainly stand out like a sore thumb."

Her words pulled him from his thoughts, flustering him to no extent before he turned his face slightly, hiding the red that began to rise to his cheeks. She stood near him now, only a few feet beside him with a soft smile lining her lips, and gentle lime eyes shining in the orange sunset glow.

"Don't underestimate the Uchiha," he retorted back quietly before rounding to face her. "I wasn't aware that your dad was such a trouble maker, Sakura."

It didn't take her any less than a second to frown, her ears lighting up with a hint of red at the tips as her hands balled into fists. Sasuke could feel the excitement bubble in his stomach, acknowledging that he'd just flustered her right back.

"That's not something to joke about, Sasuke," she hissed back. "Aren't you someone that keeps these streets safe? Shouldn't you be acting professional even when you're off the clock?"

Sasuke began to scowl, noting just how mad and hurt he'd made Sakura, but now she was attacking him personally. "Whatever. Just keep an eye on him next time."

Sakura scoffed before crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the building behind the two of them. "It's absolutely ridiculous that you're here, bossing me around when you know nothing of my life. The last you'd seen me was when we graduated from the academy and you took off to do your own thing."

Memories of a young girl with long locks of rose quarts hair filled his mind; eyes of green filled with admiration as she watched him from afar, and guilt suddenly began to take over his body. Was this actually Sakura Haruno? The girl who would follow him around occasionally? Timid and quiet, yet now she was a strong lioness asserting her dominance and making her way up the ladder in the world?

"Speaking of which, how was that? You disappeared for such a long time, no one even talks about you anymore," she smirked deeply with a smug look on her face.

If there was one thing that Sasuke hated, it was being compared to Itachi and that was exactly what Sakura was getting at. Although she'd been born to a mother who was still a genin, alongside her father that was not only a genin, but a raging alcoholic, he knew that she'd worked her ass off to get where she's at now. Sasuke didn't answer her, only turn to face her with narrowed eyes and a smirk of his own.

"Why would I tell you?" He half mocked with a serious tone.

In a matter of minutes, the tense atmosphere slowly began to lighten and a comfortable feeling overtook the two; exactly like it had earlier that day. Now that he really looked at her with the orange lighting casted over her body and the way the stall lights reflected from within her eyes, she looked genuinely sad. Who would've thought that a girl with bright pink hair and dazzling lime eyes could ever possess such a melancholy look in her eyes.

"Figured," she finally gave him a real smile and pushed away from the wall. "I've got to go now. I still have stuff to do and-"

Her eyes were no longer holding a false sense of happiness, but a rather shocked and worried expression - "shit, shit, shit!" Sasuke frowned, suddenly aware of her drastically changed attitude and how panicked she actually looked now. "I need to report to Lady Tsunade. My god, she's going to kill me!"

"Uh?" He began to ask, but quieted down almost immediately, reminding himself that he hardly knew the girl and had no intention of interfering with something that could be incredibly serious. Of course it'd be serious if it involved Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage.

"I've gotta go," Sakura exhaled before walking quickly away. Before she could evade Sasuke, though, his hand clamped around her wrist and he could feel his eyes baring into her own eyes.

"I'll go with you," he felt himself offer. Her skin felt incredibly soft under his fingers and while Sakura's weight still slightly pulled him off his own balance, he couldn't help but relish in the way she looked at him; almost like lightning had coursed through her body at his touch. "Or at least let me walk you."

He wasn't sure what had come over him, but the feeling to watch over her began to rain down from above. Her presence was calming, and whatever she'd done from the moment they met this morning, he felt the need to just be around her. Even with her sudden screams of realization that she'd screwed up, or the way she'd come unglued at a simple statement.

This was Sakura Haruno; once so small and afraid, now loud and thunderous with a strong aura that made the Uchiha curious.

"Fine. But we have to go _now_."

The rush in her sentence didn't go unnoticed, nor the way she was talking incredibly fast. Once Sasuke released her, she began to sprint down the street with Sasuke on her heels. From behind, he caught the relaxing scent of lavender that flowed from her pink locks and a dash of vanilla that was probably still clinging to her skin from a morning shower. Regardless, he could feel himself slowing down behind her as they stopped outside of the Hokage Tower.

It'd been years since he'd visited this building; right before he'd departed from the village and went on his own journey to begin training for the Police Force.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes. You can either stay, or leave. I don't care..." she trailed off as her hands clasped to one another behind her back.

Sasuke couldn't help but notice the way her eyes changed as she looked to the stair case and began to walk slowly towards it. "Wait," he called after her. "Is everything okay with Itachi?"

Sakura didn't turn to meet his face, only stop before she reached the first step. "He's, uh... he's going to be okay."

Her response wasn't entirely convincing, and that made Sasuke nervous. It was a feeling he wasn't entirely familiar with, and before he could inhale deeply and process her words, he was met by a pale face with concerned green eyes. "It's not my place to disclose information just yet, Sasuke."

"I'm his immediate family. What do you mean it's not your place to 'disclose information?'"

Sakura immediately bit down on her lip, revealing the girl she once was and as she took a small step towards him, Sasuke noticed the way she held her body with confidence now. "I'm sorry, but until our check ups are complete, by order of my mentor, I cannot disclose to you any medical information on Itachi. Today went better than yesterday, unfortunately, that's all I can say."

She was sincere in her explanation, and while Sasuke wanted to pull every little detail from her pretty little head, he nodded instead.

"I'll be back in a bit," Sakura spoke once more. Her voice hesitated slightly, along with the first step she took away from him and while Sasuke didn't answer, he watched as she skipped up the stairs gracefully.

The sun was no longer in the sky, only stars that stared down from above and passing clouds that offered soft rain.

 **xxx**

Through the medical terms and long sighs followed by extreme silence, Sasuke felt like his world would come crashing down at any point in time. As much as he had enjoyed being around the pink haired girl earlier, it felt like everything was flip flopping within.

"As far as I could tell, it's something to do with his eyes. I stopped by last night but you were gone-" "-Jiraiya stopped by-" "Anyways, I was looking to borrow a medical book, or either talk to you about his current condition. He may need to be transported to the hospital and looked at in better detail. He was dehydrated when I showed up, and the longer I looked at his eyes, something strange occurred."

From Sasuke's seat below the window, the entire sentence made no sense. Who was she to, again, underestimate the Uchiha? Itachi had just returned home from a long S-Rank mission. Of course he was going to be exhausted; none of this had to do with his eyes. Sasuke pulled a knee to his chest before balancing his weight on it. The night air was cool now, as he felt exposed to anything and everything.

"Is that your diagnose, Sakura? It's something to do with his eyes?"

"Yes, my lady. It may just possibly be the beginning stages of a tumor forming in the brain, but you'll need to check for yourself-"

Sasuke refused to listen any longer. His heart was clenching in his check, his throat constricting as it felt like buckets of sand began to flow freely down his throat and making it dryer than a desert. He didn't remain there any longer, only slid down the roof and began to make his way down to the ground and on his way home. It'd been a somewhat long and boring day (despite taking Sakura's father in), and now that he'd learned that Itachi could potentially have a tumor located in his head, Sasuke was just _done._

"It's impossible," he found himself spitting out as he shoved his hands deeply inside his pockets.

Itachi had been his number one since the day he was born, and he's always been there throughout his entire life. He was of the Uchiha bloodline, and to think something as simple as that would take him out? Impossible. Sasuke decided that he'd talk to Sakura again tomorrow, as early as possible, and rearrange that she fix this mess that she thought she'd encountered; after all, she was a medical ninja studying under the Fifth Hokage. Regardless of the situation, Sasuke found himself wandering through the familiar gates to his home and waking down the stone path.

The light from the kitchen was still visible and as Sasuke wandered through the door - discarding his sandals neatly to the side - he stood in the entryway to the kitchen and found his mother, father and brother sitting at the table. Even Shisui was still there, giving Sasuke a lopsided smile.

"Well hey there, rookie," his captain joked, knowing that the simple term of endearment got under the Uchiha's skin.

Sasuke ignored the teasing jab and took the last open seat at the table, across from Itachi and next to his mother; Shisui to his right. He found it hard to look at Itachi, but he also noticed that his brother looked relatively better than last night.

"Shisui told us that you took your first person in this morning, honey," Mikoto patted his head softly as she offered a gentle smile.

Sasuke only scoffed before shooting a knowing look at the goofy man sitting to his right. The comforting silence began to fill the space, and while Sasuke knew they had been talking about something rather serious before he stepped in, he refused to bring the subject back up. It was getting late after all, and if he'd be having another day like this tomorrow, then he thought he'd rather be going to bed than living through the nightmare that today offered.

"Sasuke? There's leftover dinner. Where are you going?" Mikoto asked, her hand on his arm before he could leave the kitchen.

"I'm going to bed," Sasuke glanced back. He had caught the sight of Fugaku's eyes on him, stern and tired looking as the man simply sat with his arms crossed firmly across his chest. He didn't have much to say that night, not with the gnawing pain occurring in his stomach, or how tight his chest felt and how hard it hurt to breathe at that point in time.

Mikoto released his hand before giving him a slight nod. Sasuke hated seeing that heart broken look in her dark, dark eyes, but he also felt heart broken himself. He didn't feel like socializing that night, he only wanted to be by himself in the confines of his dark room with an open window and a cool breeze blanketing him; and that's what he did.

The comforter felt warm as he laid in bed, staring out the open window to his right. The stars that had spotted the night sky were now hidden beneath a blanket of clouds, and soon, rain began to spit from the skies above and the comforting patter was like a lullaby to Sasuke. Even with the crisp air entering in through his window, Sasuke soon found that his body was entering an unconscious state, followed closely by his mind.

His dreams were far and brief, but what he remembered seeing were Sakura's lively green eyes, and a head full of long, flowing pink hair. Even in a world of dreams, he felt comfortable and the warm pulling at his stomach was the exact same feeling he felt while he was near Sakura earlier that day.

Pink and green; colors that resembled spring and life and Sasuke's thoughts soon began to circulate around those two things. Work wasn't something that constantly circulated through his mind, and although he found it something still important in his life, he was also interested in what Sakura liked to do for fun, in her free time, or if she was ever sent off on missions. After all, both being shinobi, they still lived entirely different lives but had such a familiar pull to one another.

What was going on in his mind? Even while sleeping, he felt disgruntled and his emotions began to drown him. Not only did he dream of bright, spring colors, but of deep grays and raven wings, even the spinning tomoe of the Sharingan entered his dreams.

As the sun began to enter through the opened window, Sasuke's eyes cracked at the rays of light. Unfocused as they were, he could feel his head pounding from such a deep sleep; even the painful clench in his chest hadn't vanished.

Today was going to be lovely.


	5. Set Intentions ii

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Naruto, or any of the characters._

 _Hi. I'm updating finally. I accidentally deleted literally all of my work on this yesterday and felt like shit when it happened lol. Hope you guys enjoy :) I won't be updating this at all during July, as I'll be working on writing for sasusakumonth on Tumblr! If y'all wanna see my work or say hello, my tumblr url is **roraewrites**. _

_Thanks for the continuous support, my fellow friends. I really appreciate all the reviews and kind words!_

* * *

 ** _Your Eyes_**  
 _"it's hard to_  
 _forget someone_  
 _when they gave_  
 _you so much_  
 _to remember."_

* * *

Itachi's checkup the next day had gone surprisingly well. Sakura made sure to check his eyes once more, and still, they looked the same as yesterday.

"How did you sleep?"

"Good. Better than I have in a month, actually."

Sakura nodded before removing her hands from Itachi's head and began to scribble down some notes. It was odd to her how comfortable she'd become in the Uchiha household, considering the clan had such a high reputation, and that she'd been assigned to watch over Itachi was an honor.

"That's good to hear." She watched him roll his head towards her, only to reveal those familiar dark eyes that the rest of his family possessed. "I couldn't get in to see Tsunade, so hopefully I can tonight. We'll be going over some stuff that I noted while here yesterday and come to a final decision." She kept her tone strong and her eyes firm.

"Tell me, Sakura." His voice lowered an octave, preferably so his mother couldn't hear, but Sakura took the hint. "What's really going on?"

She slowly began to chew on his words and let her thoughts process before giving him any information. She still needed to go over all of this with Tsunade - cursing her mentor for being absent last night - but Itachi's eyes held curiosity and it pained her heart to withhold information on his mysterious illness.

"It's complicated to explain-"

"Try me," Itachi dared in his deep voice. It sent shivers down her spine when his eyes glanced at hers, wide and aware. She only frowned in response, and instead of playing his games, she crossed her legs and leaned back.

"Not that I don't want to 'try you' or anything, but we still have a few more things to do," she replied softly. She carefully grabbed her medical pouch from the end table and stood to her feet, fastening it around her waist and sunk her teeth into her lower lip. "This is going to be a little challenging at first, but we're going to get you back on your feet. It seems you're not dehydrated anymore, and we need to do some tests outside."

Itachi nodded, only to have his eyes narrow at her suggestion. With his upper body propped up on his elbow, Sakura immediately crouched slightly, ready to catch him. "Slowly," she reminded in a professional voice.

She was honestly surprised when Itachi moved with ease to the side of his bed, and when his feet touched the floorboards, it was like he was immediately tired and drained of all his energy.

"Remember, it's been a few days since you've stood or walked around. I'm going to help you, so please don't fight me." The saying was typical for Sakura whenever she would help someone up after a few days. Sometimes they'd fight and claim they don't need help, other times they would allow her help. Itachi seemed to have been the latter type, as he easily put his arm around her shoulders and allowed her to carry some of his weight.

"You're positive I won't crush you?"

Sakura scoffed before grinning, "positive."

With Itachi carefully holding onto her - she could tell he was holding back slightly - they made their way towards his door and finally to the back yard. It was beautiful out. The way the sun peaked through the thin clouds, and the blue sky spreading out above them. There was no breeze offered that day, and it wasn't too hot; it was perfect and as they made their way through the yard, Sakura finally came to halt.

"How are your legs feeling? Any pain or tender areas?"

"No-"

"Don't lie."

"My heels are a little sore. Shins ache slightly, but all in all, I feel fine." Itachi was about as monotone as Sasuke had been that morning, and although Sakura didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable around Itachi, the thought of Sasuke made her palms sweat.

"We're going to try to do some stretches, just to wake your muscles up a little," Sakura recommended. She helped him down to the grass with ease, and as she began to show him what kind of stretching she wanted him to do, he began to do them. He showed no signs of pain as he reached for his toes, but she made sure he stretched his hamstrings slowly.

"Now we're going to lean back and point our toes." Sakura demonstrated to Itachi, and as he watched, she could see the small smirk grace his face. She felt stupid when he watched her, but it was needed. Itachi did as she showed him and again, he showed no signs of pain.

After stretching the muscles in his legs for a few minutes, Sakura began to help him up to his feet once more. It didn't occur to her that Itachi was over a foot taller than her until his arm came to wrap around her shoulders again.

"Right. Let's continue to walk around. Your mother said she would be making breakfast, so instead of eating in your room today, maybe we can make it to the kitchen."

Itachi didn't refuse that, for he was happily leading the way. With Sakura under his arm, balancing him, they made it to the kitchen with small talk among the two of them.

"Thanks for taking time out of your training. I know I'm being stubborn," Itachi muttered. It made Sakura smile, but she refused to let him think of it like that.

"This is more than enough training for me. After all, a medical ninja takes care of their patient." Tsunade's lectures and rules began to unwind in her head, causing her smile to deepen as they entered the kitchen.

"Itachi! You look much better today," Mikoto greeted them with a coo. The aroma of cooked food instantly flooded Sakura's nostrils and she could feel her mouth begin to water. "Sit, sit. We can all eat."

As much as Sakura wanted to join them, she had eaten her fill of breakfast before starting her work for the day. She kindly denied, explained that she had some notes to write and thinking to do, but immediately sat Itachi down at their table.

"Comfortable?" Sakura verified before turning. His curt nod verified his seating arrangement, and although Mikoto asked the medic once more, Sakura offered yet another kind smile.

"No, really. It's okay. I have some work to do. It'll be nice for Itachi to spend some time with his mother!"

The two watched her with their dark eyes before Itachi smiled slightly. "We'll be here if you change your mind."

Sakura showed herself out of the room, and back towards their yard. She still had more work to do during the day, but while Itachi ate and chatted with is mother, Sakura removed her notepad from her pouch and began to jot down some more notes.

She wrote about how tired his muscles had been (which was bound to happen), how his headache had slightly gone away, his water intake throughout the night, and even his overall personality that day. He didn't seem tired or groggy, but he did seem quite irritable at times.

The pen in her hand eventually fell to the wood beside her body and Sakura fell back to her hands as she watched the clouds overhead. She began to worry about Itachi, curious about whether or not he'd actually need to be transported to the hospital. Whether there was something more going on within Itachi's body that Sakura couldn't see or she was just missing it, she made a mental note to go to Tsuande first thing when she was done here.

Her mind began to weigh down underneath all her thoughts and troubles. Stress began to eat away at her stomach and although she enjoyed being here with the Uchiha's, she didn't want to fail the family.

 **xxx**

"Sakura, do you have a minute?" Mikoto peaked her head in through Itachi's door. Her older son had passed out later in the day, and with Sakura seated next to him, she decided to see if any sleeping patterns were irregular or different.

Mikoto's voice caught her off guard, and when her eyes glanced up from Itachi's twitching eyelids, she raised her eyebrows. Mikoto never intruded during her examinations, but instead of just staring at the woman, she immediately made her way towards the door. Slipping through it quietly, she shut it behind her and turned to face the woman, only to be greeted with a pair of concerned eyes and cold fingers reaching towards her own.

"Fugaku just called."

Sakura felt her body instantly ice over, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Nausea immediately followed closely behind the chilly sensation but when Sakura raised an eyebrow out of curiosity, Mikoto continued.

"They have your father at the station."

Her core no longer felt iced over, but like molten lava had began to erupt from within. She was immediately angry, pissed off at the world and consumed by her temper, but she was careful not to crush Mikoto's hands. Sakura nodded before letting her head drop slightly. She knew exactly what was going on.

"I'm really sorry-"

Mikoto cut her off almost instantly and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Please, if you need to head over there, it's okay. I'll keep an eye on Itachi."

Sakura didn't only feel angry anymore, but rather embarrassed. She wanted to run, run as far away as she possibly could but her subconscious held her in place. Soon she nodded before looking back to Mikoto's obsidian eyes.

"I can leave instructions for Itachi's care. I apologize that this happened..." Sakura wanted to say so much more, rant to the older woman in front of her, but then again this wasn't her mother. Instead, she immediately began to jot down what would need to be done during the remainder of the day and throughout the night.

"I encourage that he leaves his bed once more tonight, mainly for blood circulation," Sakura started. "Maybe some more stretching." She continued to write and talk, carefully leaving stars by each important point. "I highly encourage that he doesn't do too much walking though. If anything, only to the kitchen, or around in the backyard. Another thing he could do is sit on the back porch and let his legs hang freely over the edge, swinging them lightly."

She bit down on the tip of the pen as she read over her starred points and inhaled deeply before exhaling her anger. If she showed up at the station to find that her father was a drunk mess, she'd finish him off herself.

"Thank you again for spending your time with Itachi," Mikoto smiled to her. Sakura could see the appreciative shimmer from within her soot eyes and as she began to leave, the second she closed the iron gate behind her, she willed her legs to carry her away fast and far.

Running like this had never felt so great. Although her mind was an inferno, she kept herself going. Breathing didn't become hard, her legs didn't ache and neither did her chest. The second the station came into her view, though, she felt her stomach crawl to her throat and nausea overtake her body.

Towards the eastern gate stood three bodies, one of which she made out to be her father. Another taller figure stood to his right, and another to his left; when her eyes landed on the figure to the left, her heart froze and she could feel her eyes widen.

It was that same familiar magnetic pull inching her closer now, her legs carrying her swiftly towards the group of men. The closer she got, the more anxious she became. It was Sasuke, standing next to her father and his dark eyes watched as she approached.

The second she stopped, her hands clasped one another behind her back and she offered a gentle smile. Both him and the other officer looked dashing in their uniforms, although Sasuke's made him look ten years older. She hadn't realized it earlier that morning, since he was in such a hurry.

"Thank you for picking him up this morning. I'm sure he had a _great_ day." Sakura could feel her voice come out dry, and as much as she wanted to take her father down then and there, she refused to come off as a brash daughter.

Her viridian eyes glanced back to Sasuke once more, and from there, she found his own dark eyes still on her. She didn't feel uncomfortable by any means, she felt rather safe under his easy going stare and straight posture. The medic even managed to smile and give him a small wave.

That same pull from earlier began to make its presence known, and although she still felt anger and embarrassment bubbling underneath the surface, she still held Sasuke's gaze.

It hadn't occurred to her until Shisui's 'have a good night' came from his lips that Sakura had totally been gawking at Sasuke the entire time. She merely nodded before breaking her eye contact with Sasuke and spared her father a glance. His eyes remained on the ground - anything but her angry eyes.

The moment she turned on her heel, her father fell in step behind her and off they went in an awkward and silent walk home. She felt her chest clench when her father didn't say a word, and instead of letting the silence eat away at her, she finally spoke up.

"Why didn't you ask someone to come get you?"

Nothing.

He didn't respond _or_ look at her. She felt isolation take over from the inside out and her steps became faster. The second they stopped in front of their familiar green door, Sakura pulled the keys from her pouch and slid it in the hole. She could hear the click of the lock, and then the squeak of the door as she pushed it open.

She inhaled once more before stepping to the side and allowing her father to brush by. "Don't be getting into anymore trouble. Mom can't afford to keep up with your hectic and childish behavior."

The words stung her tongue as they fell out, but her raging emotions still burned through her veins.

"I love you. Please don't get into anymore trouble, dad."

Nothing.

He pushed on by her without a single glance or word. Although she felt angry with herself for letting his drinking habits rage on, she also had him to blame for turning to alcohol for comfort. Another inhale, and she released it all with a short grunt. A feeling she couldn't overcome was still near, and although she was still currently pissed off with her father, she felt a familiar chakra presence nearby.

It was clear to her that he had been spaced out, completely and absolutely as it was easy enough for her to walk across the street and appear right by his side. Sasuke had changed, obviously, for he wore plain black trousers and a simple gray hoodie that held the Uchiha crest proudly on the back.

"Although you're an Uchiha, you certainly stand out like a sore thumb."

Her lips pulled back into a smile when he glanced at her, the jump didn't go unnoticed and neither did his blush.

"Don't underestimate the Uchiha," his voice was suddenly an octave deeper. There was something about it that sent shivers down her spine, but it was apparent that he had more to say. "I wasn't aware that your dad was such a trouble maker, Sakura."

The overwhelming feeling of fire ate away in the pit of her belly, and while she felt her face pale to a shade of white, her eyes were narrowed at Sasuke now. It didn't occur to her that he actually said her name, not until she was balling her hands into fists once more that night.

"That's not something to joke about, Sasuke," her voice was like venom and her a snake. Talking about her father lately had become a sensitive subject, and even now that Sasuke was making jokes towards the incident, she felt even more vulnerable. "Aren't you someone who keeps these streets safe? Shouldn't you be acting professional even when you're off the clock?"

Why was Sasuke even here anyway? He was the one that decided that he was better off with following in his father's footsteps after all. She could see the anger flare up within his dark eyes, there was also some sort of understanding that she found there as well.

"Whatever. Just keep an eye on him next time."

Sakura wasn't quite finished with her lecture, especially since Sasuke decided to attack her personally and tease her about her father. No, that just wouldn't do. She scoffed before she started her rant, and when her arms crossed over her chest, she nodded her head slightly.

"It's absolutely ridiculous that you're here, bossing me around when you know nothing of my life. The last you'd seen me was when we graduated from the academy and you took off to do your own thing." She felt absolutely weightless, light as a weather and after she finished, it was like all the air in her lungs had vanished. There was just something frustratingly familiar about Sasuke and it irritated her to no end.

Sakura had always been aware of Sasuke's whereabouts during school, and although he was never particularly fond of her, he was never rude to her either. While all the other girls in their class swore that they'd be the one to end up with Sasuke, he never showed interest in _any_ of them.

When she had gotten word that he would be departing from the village for a few years, Sakura felt absolutely hopeless. She was young, but she knew what her heart wanted. Whether she was just infatuated with the idea of being with him, or having genuine and honest feelings, she was heart broken.

After an extended period of silence, Sakura finally breathed and relieved herself of her pent up anger. "Speaking of which, how was that? You disappeared for such a long time, no one even talks about you anymore."

It was obvious that there were no hurt feelings anymore, as he turned to her with a smirk and playful, narrowed eyes. "Why would I tell you?"

Sakura smiled a soft smile, catching the hint of mockery in his tone before pushing away from the wall. It was nice to catch up with someone she had known since she was a child, and although the Uchiha was a mysterious person, there was just something about him that she had always been drawn to.

Maybe it was his outgoing personality. Sakura smirked at herself, laughing at her own joke.

"Figured," Sakura scoffed. "Well, I've got to go now, I still have stuff to and-"

She felt her stomach in her throat once more and time stop around her. Tsunade. She was suppose to go to Lady Tsunade first thing that night, but with her father's situation and Sasuke's stalking, she had lost track of time and most importantly, lost her concentration.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Her heart was racing now, and even the surprised look on Sasuke's face caught her off guard. It was hardly ever that the boy showed any emotion - then again, how would she know him that well? "I need to report to Lady Tsunade. My god, she is going to kill me!" A fresh wave of panic flushed through her body as she began to take steps down the road. Sasuke's questioning grunt almost went unnoticed, but her head whipped back and she offered a quick smile.

"I've gotta go."

She hadn't exactly realized how cold it was outside until Sasuke's warm hand grasped her wrist, and with a questioning look, Sasuke frowned.

"I'll go with you," he spoke in a firm tone. Sakura chewed on the offer, and although she couldn't see her own face, he knew that he disapproved. "Or at least let me walk you."

It was calming, almost, to have Sasuke offer that and as much as Sakura wanted to fathom the idea of Sasuke walking her through the village at night, she needed to go _now. "Fine."_

The two of them made their way through the streets quickly, Sasuke trailing closely behind her. Chills ran through her spine as she thought about Sasuke's silent breathing compared to her own.

It took them no time at all to close in on the Hokage Tower, and once Sakura slowly came to stop, Sasuke was at her heels the entire time. She knew that she couldn't take him to Tsunade's office with her, and an uncomfortable welling came to rest in her chest.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes. You can either stay, or leave. I don't care..." But something inside her nagged that she did care. She liked his presence, even it was a bit overpowering at times, she appreciated the way he looked at her like he understood her and felt the same feeling she felt when she was near him.

Sasuke didn't answer, and when Sakura turned to start heading up the stairs, she finally heard his call. "Wait." Sakura stopped at the first step, the balls of her toes resting on the edge of the first stair. "Is everything okay with Itachi?"

It was hard enough to evade Itachi's questions today, but since she had known Sasuke longer and had more of a connection with him, it hurt to swallow back her words. She chewed on her lower lip, struggling with whether she should start this conversation with him here and now.

"He's, uh... he's going to be okay," Sakura responded quietly. She could tell that her tone wasn't very strong, and although her back was to him, she could already picture the scowl that overcame his facial expression. Her heart was rushing now, her palms growing clammy and when she turned to meet his face, her ivory skin washed out. "It's not my place to disclose information just yet, Sasuke."

Sakura knew of the Uchiha bloodline, knew how great their eyes were and she knew just how deadly they could be too. She didn't feel any sense of harm coming her way when she looked into Sasuke's obsidian eyes, though. If anything, she felt relieved and calmed when she glanced at those eyes. It was easy to see the anger in Sasuke's eyes, but there was also concern and a questioning look at well; something inside him was pleading for help.

"I'm his immediate family. What do you mean it's not your place to 'disclose information?'"

"I'm sorry, but until our check ups are complete, by order of my mentor, I cannot disclose to you any medical information on Itachi. Today went better than yesterday, unfortunately, that's all I can say," Sakura's tone was now firm and she had her hands balled into fists. She meant every word she said, and if it were up to her, she'd at least try to ease the heart of the younger Uchiha; it wasn't her place to say.

Their voices had remained surprisingly quiet, especially since it was growing darker and later in the night. Sakura watched as Sasuke willed himself to nod, fighting back the need to argue with her and see exactly what was going. He respected her instead, and remained quiet.

"I'll be back in a bit," her voice trailed off as she began to climb the stairs. Her heart was still beating wildly in her chest and her throat stung from talking so much and trying to reason with Sasuke.

She'd be doing the same thing if she were in his shoes, though. Having a sibling undergo a mysterious illness that a medic doesn't quite know yet, and being left in the dark throughout it all. She was perched in front of the Hokage's office now and before she knocked, she took a final deep breath. When exhaled, she gained her composure and knocked.

 **xxx**

Their conversation had gone well if Sakura had any say, but the look in Tsuande's honey eyes stumped her. Her mentor had remained fairly quiet during the start of their conversation, but the more Sakura went into detail, the more of a questioning look passed over the blonde's face.

"A tumor, huh?" A low groan traveled throughout the room, bouncing off the walls and filled the atmosphere. "If it's a tumor, he can be treated. The outcome may not be what they're hoping for, but again, if we don't know what it is, then he'll need to be placed in the hospital."

"He was dehydrated when I first got there yesterday, but I had left behind specific notes for Mikoto Uchiha as far as watching him overnight. He was walking today, and since he's been down for a few days, his legs and muscles were sore - that's normal. I just can't get over what I saw in his eyes, though."

The office was now quiet, and as Sakura stood in front of Tsunade's desk she could feel the tension closing in.

"I'll run this by Shizune. Your treatments for Itachi will come to a stop. You can go home and I'll see you in the morning."

Sakura nodded and bit back the tears that she so badly wanted to let loose. She was upset with herself for not properly figuring out what exactly was wrong with him, and she was upset that she let Tsunade down. The longer she stood in front of Tsunade's desk, the more she fought with herself on what the right thing was.

"If I may," she finally spoke up. The blonde looked up from her paperwork and raised a thin eyebrow. "Could I be there during his examination? I want to know what's actually wrong with him."

"Of course. I'll make sure to summon you when we start."

Excitement wasn't quite what flooded through Sakura, but more so a relieved feeling. She was curious, just like Itachi and Sasuke and she wanted to learn and grasp knowledge. Her body began to feel tired due to all the emotions she had gone through and when she finally began to turn on her heel, Tsunade cleared her throat.

"You did well for not knowing the exact problem, Sakura. I know how much of a perfectionist you are and I know that you're feeling down, but keep your head up. There's more work to be done. It's not over yet."

The young medic flashed her mentor a smile of gratitude before opening the large door, and in return, Tsunade gave her a smile of acknowledgement back. Relief was definitely the feeling that favored her that night.

Her legs carried her down the stairs gracefully, and the second her boots hit the dirt, she immediately began to scan the area for Sasuke. The dim street lights offered no other body around, and when she realized that he was actually gone, that relieved and happy feeling immediately turned to anxiety.

Sakura didn't call out for him, she didn't look for him; her walk towards her house was lonely and quiet, but she needed to isolation in order to process her day. It had started out so awkward, but moved to a positive outlook during her time with Itachi. Even when she had seen Sasuke when picking up her father, her feelings of anger dispersed and she could only focus on those dark eyes that looked back at her with such familiarity. If she had the chose, she'd choose to look into those eyes for a lifetime.

The porch light to her house illuminated the steps, and with each step Sakura took, memories from earlier flooded her mind. She hated the fact that her and her father had grown so distant over the years and she hated the fact that both her and her mother had no sort of relationship with him either. Sakura had talked to Mebuki time and time again about ending it and moving on, but there was always something in her mother's eyes that told her to drop the subject.

Her house smelled the same as always, and even the way the pictures hung on the wall made her realize that this was her forever home. Sakura knew that her mother would be asleep in her bedroom, and more times than not, her father would either be out of the house and at a bar or fast asleep on the couch. Tonight was different, though. He wasn't sleeping on their small couch in the front room, nor was he out of the house. He was in bed with her mother, both of them fast asleep. Sakura's heart hitched in her chest and instead of screaming at him, she stalked off slowly towards her own bedroom.

It had been a lifetime and a half since she last saw her parents sharing a bed and although the light of hope in her heart had been out for years, there was something that still encouraged a spark of life to it. She discarded the image to the back of her mind and the second she closed her bedroom door behind her, she removed her headband and folded it neatly and placed it on her dresser.

Her room was cool, thanks to leaving the window open all day. It was refreshing to have the night air fill the atmosphere and it also sparked Sakura's curiosity. She was no longer tired as she laid in her bed. Her mind was active and wide awake, and the text books next to her nightstand screamed at her to open them and start reading them. When her hand reached over to brush the hard outer case, she felt immediately refreshed.

Although they belonged to Tsunade, Sakura liked having them handy for late night studying; instead of sleep that night, she sat perched in her bed with her notebook on her knee, a pen in hand, and her eyes scanning page after page. The falling of rain eventually began to shower down from above, and even when her curtains blew in the welcoming breeze, Sakura remained in her bed, eyes watching the rain that brought back memories of a dark night.

It felt both nostalgic and frightening. Sakura wasn't sure what she was remembering, but she had seen rain like this before at some point in her life, but then again, it never rained this hard during the current season in Konoha. Regardless, she closed her book and placed everything on her nightstand and began to close her eyes.

Sakura couldn't shake the image of Sasuke's onyx orbs, staring deeply in her own before melting into deep, blood red Sharingan. It glowed with an eerie and dangerous feeling, but it wasn't meant for her. His face was now visible and his hair was drenched, drops of water running down his cheeks; Sakura could've sworn that she could see tears, but his image began to fade like a vignette and before Sakura could make out what Sasuke was screaming, she jolted awake with the first thunderous boom from above.

Her face was soaked in sweat while her eyes scanned the room. What was Sasuke screaming and why was he soaking wet? She laid in bed and when her eyes looked to the clock, it was only one-forty-three in the morning.

Sleep wouldn't come to her that night, not with Sasuke's horrified face haunting her mind.


End file.
